Vehicle shortage scuttles plans to boost bus service

[jesseps]

A promise from Montreal's transit corporation to improve service by adding more buses fell through this week because of a shortage of vehicles.

 

The union representing Montreal bus drivers says many of its members were paid to work shifts this week but ended up sitting around because there weren't enough buses to drive during Monday and Tuesday rush hours.

 

The Montreal Transit Corp. added 145 additional departures per week on its green, orange and blue metro lines starting Monday. It also extended morning and afternoon rush hour schedules for several busy bus routes. The extra service will cost about $20 million a year.

 

But the transit corporation admitted it is running the system with bus shortages. "I can tell you that [on Monday], we were missing between 100 and 120 buses on the network," said MTC spokeswoman Isabelle Tremblay.

 

"This morning we were missing 105 buses. Now unfortunately, this situation has been going on for a few months," she said.

 

Part of the problem is a fleet of older buses that keep ending up in the shop, Tremblay said. "Between 1995 and 2000, we bought about 450 of the first generation of these low-floor buses, which continue to be a headache since they are three times more likely to break down."

 

The situation has been exacerbated by an ongoing labour conflict with maintenance workers, she said. "There are a few factors that explain the lack … of buses at the peak of rush hour," she said.

 

The union representing transit workers said the problem can't be blamed on maintenance workers. "It's not the first time they have big, big problems," said union spokesman Sylvain Pilon.

 

"The cold reality is that [Monday] morning we only had 200 buses put on roads, for a total of 146 hours [of service]," which falls short of rush hour needs, Pilon said.

 

The only solution is for the MTC to buy new buses, said bus driver union spokesman Tom Mouhteros. "It's not working at all. They need to put more buses on the road. Find and buy more buses."

 

"The sooner, the better," he said.

 

The MTC says it plans to buy about 100 new buses this year and is talking to Nova Bus, which built the older vehicles, to find a way to keep them on the road.

 

The extra service was introduced as part of the MTC's efforts to increase ridership by eight per cent in the next five years, according to the province's green plan policy.

 

(Courtesy of CBC News)

[Habsfan]

Part of the problem is a fleet of older buses that keep ending up in the shop, Tremblay said. "Between 1995 and 2000, we bought about 450 of the first generation of these low-floor buses, which continue to be a headache since they are three times more likely to break down."

 

I hope the city learned it's lesson. Do we know which company they bought those 450 buses from? Van Hool? or Nova Bus? Which ever one it is, i hope they won't buy new buses from them. It is unacceptable to buy buses that break down threee times more often.

 

The MTC says it plans to buy about 100 new buses this year and is talking to Nova Bus, which built the older vehicles, to find a way to keep them on the road.

[yarabundi]

Oh on sait de quel manufacturier il s'agit : Nova Bus. N'y a-t-il pas une obligation du gouvernement du Québec qui force les villes à "acheter québécois" ?

[Habsfan]

Oh on sait de quel manufacturier il s'agit : Nova Bus. N'y a-t-il pas une obligation du gouvernement du Québec qui force les villes à "acheter québécois" ?

 

Est tu en traîn de dire que les 450 autobus achetés entre 1995 et 2000 qui étaient en panne 3 fois plus souvent étaient des autobus de NovaBus?

 

Pi ils vont continuer d'acheter de eux??? Quel merde! Juste pcq ces autobus sont faits au Québec?

 

Peut être que si la ville achetait ses autobus de Van hool, ça donnerait une petite lesson à NovaBus d'améliorer la qualité de son produit!?!?!

[monctezuma]

Oh on sait de quel manufacturier il s'agit : Nova Bus. N'y a-t-il pas une obligation du gouvernement du Québec qui force les villes à "acheter québécois" ?

 

Ce n'est pas une obligation. L'affaire qu'il y a c'est que le gouvernement donne de grosses subventions pour l'achat de ces véhicules. Exemple: le bus coute 400,000$, le gouv. paie 100,000$ soit le quart.

 

Tandis que si la compagnie de transport en commun achète ailleurs que NovaBus St-Eustache, zéro subvention. Étant donné que nos compagnies de transports en commun sont plus pauvres que l'itinérant coin rené-lévesque et papineau, ben elle achètent les bus de NovaBus St-Eustache.

[cprail]

Les premier LFS auront servis à NovaBus à développer un produit qui aura - finalement - acquis une crédibilité et une qualité très acceptable. Bon, les organismes de transport du Québec en ont payés le prix.

Maintenant que NovaBus a développé son modèle de LFS articulé, c'est encore à Montréal et Québec à servir de béta-testeurs? Ça commence à bien faire non? surtout que NovaBus a été racheté par Volvo... D'accord ça fait des emplois au Québec mais tout de même...