Recent Route Changes

[Irisbus Rider]

Just two changes this time;
http://www.action.act.gov.au/recent_routes_change.html

I just get annoyed by these changes, looking at the City arrivals on the 2, these route changes have made them become somewhat sporatic;
8:02am
17 mins
8:19am
19 mins
8:38am
10 mins
8:48am
14 mins
9:02am
16 mins
9:18am
14 mins
9:32am

What happened to a straight 15 min frequency?

Me thinks the reason the times got a few minutes added on is because there is a few drivers that can't cope with the tight timings, but a few others that can cope. But they shouldn't be adjusting the times to a certain drivers capabilities, becuase when shifts change, a new driver will take over the run!

This becomes a problem, becuase now with these bigger gaps, certain buses will get more full while others get emptier, as naturally, passengers will get the quicker service too.

The whole rant comes back to this one question, if you're going to change the timing for only a few runs, why not change them all!

[Barry Drive]

Me thinks the reason the times got a few minutes added on is because there is a few drivers that can't cope with the tight timings, but a few others that can cope. But they shouldn't be adjusting the times to a certain drivers capabilities, becuase when shifts change, a new driver will take over the run!

This becomes a problem, becuase now with these bigger gaps, certain buses will get more full while others get emptier, as naturally, passengers will get the quicker service too.

The whole rant comes back to this one question, if you're going to change the timing for only a few runs, why not change them all!

In the ideal world, bus timetables should reflect expected running times and so they can vary from hour to hour based upon expected passenger loadings and traffic conditions.

If these adjusted times actually match what is currently being achieved on this route, then the variations in passengers (some will get more full than others) will not occur once the changed timetable takes place but it is occurring already and these changes just reflect that.

By the way, I take exception to the statement "a few drivers who can't cope with the tight timings" - it is not the driver's fault if the bus cannot fly above all the traffic. You try driving route 2 (or even 3) in the morning and tell me how it is possible to get from National Circuit/Kings Ave to Platform 10 via Commonwealth Ave, London Circuit and Marcus Clarke St in 10 minutes and then pick up all passengers in one minute. It can't be done. Sometimes it will take 10 minutes from London Circuit/Edinburgh Ave to Northbourne Ave.

[Irisbus Rider]

Yeah, you raise a few valid points there.

Some drivers are incapable of 'pushing it' to run on time (this isn't ideal, but a must if you're running excessively late), but on the flipside, someties the bus prevents the driver to keep to the timetable, an example would be the stop start motions on a 703 in a clapped out MkI Artic, it's painfully slow!