Page 20 - Demo

q&a
BETTER VISION SOON
THE GREATER WELLINGTON REGIONAL COUNCIL HAS BEEN UNDER THE GUN SINCE IT INTRODUCED A NEW BUS SYSTEM TO WELLINGTON IN JULY. CIRCULAR TALKED TO WAYNE HASTIE, GENERAL MANAGER OF THE GREATER WELLINGTON REGIONAL COUNCIL PUBLIC TRANSPORT GROUP.
THE NEW WELLINGTON BUS SYSTEM HAS COME IN FOR A LOT OF CRITICISM. IS THERE AN ELEMENT OF OVERREACTION WITH THE PUBLIC NOT GIVING IT A CHANCE TO SETTLE IN?
ere may be an unrealistic expectation on the part of the public that everything would operate smoothly from day one. Obviously that was never going to be the case; there were always going to be bedding-in issues with a combination of new buses, new driv- ers, new routes and new timetables. It will take time to determine whether the issues we are experiencing are to do with delivery or whether they result from the new network design. Once the net- work has settled down – and that will take several months – we will have much better visibility of whether changes to the design are necessary.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISSUES YOU SEE WITH THE NEW SYSTEM?
e major issues we are dealing with now as a matter of urgency are capacity, punctuality, and inaccurate real-time information displays.
THE GREATER WELLINGTON REGIONAL COUNCIL (GWRC) HAS SAID IT MAY TWEAK THE NEW SYSTEM. HOW WILL IT DO THIS? ere are some minor tweaks we can make now that have no impli- cations or knock-on e ects for the wider network. We have made a call to reinstate an all-day service from Miramar to Karori. ere may be other opportunities we can look at, but as explained in the response to the rst question, it will take time before we can get an accurate appreciation of what changes may be needed to the network design.
HERE AND OVERSEAS, RESEARCH AND PUBLIC FEEDBACK SUGGESTS THAT FORCING THE PUBLIC TO CHANGE BUSES HAS
A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT USE. IS THE GWRC HAVING A RETHINK ON THE NUMBER OF ROUTES REQUIRING A CHANGE IN BUS?
e introduction of a system that incorporates hubs and the need to transfer is certainly one of the most contentious issues as far as the public is concerned. is may be something that will be looked at when we come to consider what changes may be necessary to net- work design. Transferring between services is a common charac- teristic of public transport systems in most modern and developed cities around the world.
“THIS IS STILL SOME WAY SHORT OF THE STANDARD WE AND OUR CUSTOMERS ARE LOOKING FOR.”
IN CHRISTCHURCH THERE WAS A SUGGESTION THAT WHEN THEY CHANGED TO A NEW SYSTEM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE WAS NOT READY. WAS IT READY HERE WHEN THE CHANGES WERE MADE IN JULY?
e simple answer is no. For example, we are still in the process of completing our hubs. Our operators have not yet taken delivery of all of their new buses. Until we have these items in place, we have put temporary measures in place to be able to deliver the best service we can, but this is still some way short of the standard we and our customers are looking for.
20 CIRCULAR SEPTEMBER 2018
WWW.BUSANDCOACH.CO.NZ
GWRC has employed ‘bus ambassadors’ to try and help the public understand the new system. These ambassadors act as a presence on the street providing information and assistance for customers. GWRC is currently looking at retaining the ambassadors as an “on-the-ground” presence at hotspots around the city.