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Post by Retrovision on Mar 25, 2008 14:35:57 GMT -8
In September 2008, Victoria Transit will start express service between Swartz Bay and Victoria, running straight down the Pat Bay Highway every 30 min from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm. Even better news, all of Victoria Transit will become a single fare zone! Doubly gracious beyond your mean, lol, thank you muchly, piller! Next Step: Express Lanes down Douglas "...When will you stop (your demands)?" say some, but I'm so thankful about the turn for the better that the direction of transit in BC has taken recently, heck we could have stayed status quo, tho the NDP still and always deserved credit for establishing the formidable network our province benefits from to this day (since the 70s)
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Post by PCL Driver on Mar 25, 2008 16:27:45 GMT -8
In September 2008, Victoria Transit will start express service between Swartz Bay and Victoria, running straight down the Pat Bay Highway every 30 min from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm. Even better news, all of Victoria Transit will become a single fare zone! Doubly gracious beyond your mean, lol, thank you muchly, piller! Next Step: Express Lanes down Douglas "...When will you stop (your demands)?" say some, but I'm so thankful about the turn for the better that the direction of transit in BC has taken recently, heck we could have stayed status quo, tho the NDP still and always deserved credit for establishing the formidable network our province benefits from to this day (since the 70s) /begin rant Yes..isn't it nice that the provincial government, with their heavily subsidized bus service, can compete against the private sector. This'll get interesting...do ya think that the Liberal Government is gonna give me a job when Transit puts PCL out of business? I don't mean to be bitter, but how in the world can a private sector bus company (that has to make it on their own) compete with the Government subsidized service? PCL is now in a very uncomfortable position. Because the government has decided to do this, this will result in PCL's passenger counts to go down, causing PCL management to raise the fares (to pay for the new buses) , which in turn will send more passengers to Transit, and on and on and on... I'd like to point out that PCL (and it's predecessor companies VICL and Pacific Stage Lines) has operated this service since June 15 1960. yep, the very day that BC Ferries started service, there was a PCL bus on board. yes, almost 48 years of continual service. BC Transit didn't realize there was a ferry terminal there for almost 20 years! While I am all in favour of cheap, local subsidized transit, I must draw the line at BC Transit (and Coast Mountain as well) operating runs that are in direct competition with the private sector. If BC Transit (and Coast Mountain) want to operate in competition with the private sector, then those particular runs (Victoria - Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen - Vancouver) must make it on their own...no subsidies or government money. This is not Transit's first attack on the private sector. Eight or nine years ago, PCL was asked by UVic if we would operate a bus on Friday afternoon from the SUB to Vancouver. We did start, and did quite well at it until Transit decided to do the same thing a few months later. Well, you can guess what happened next...PCL's counts went in the toilet, and we had to drop the service. Transit has done the same thing to Greyhound and Grayline of Victoria, and now also to the Victoria Airport bus company...that company has to pay the Victoria Airport Authourity a percentage (between 15 to 25% of their gross income). Is BC Transit paying anything to the Victoria Airport? I think not.... With the proposed 'express service' Transit has decided to go into direct competition with PCL, and because of the fuel taxes and the property taxes that I have to pay, I get to help Transit PUT ME OUT OF A JOB!!!! Oh, and those Express Lanes down Douglas Street? Every business along the Douglas Street Corridor signed a petition against it...Its gonna get fun.... /end rant
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Post by Northern Exploration on Mar 25, 2008 16:50:04 GMT -8
Out here we have a similar but different problem. People ride Mississauga Transit to the Go Train and then onto the TTC. That is three transit systems to get to work not to mention there may be transfers as well within the system. I believe in order to get people off the roads governments have to be smarter.
In the case of Victoria I think there should be some arrangement with PCL so that someone can buy a package where they ride into the city on that bus and then transfer into transit. The idea being make it easy to take something other than a car. Putting PCL in trouble is the wrong way to go!
We have a new umbrella organization that is supposed to make seemless travel possible. They have a long way to go and each group is going to turf fight. It is called Metrolinx and they are supposedly starting a fare card called Presto Card around 2010. We will see how they do and whether they favour movement to just downtown Toronto or across all the cities and region. We have a 16 lane freeway that operates at capacity for much of the day and we need to get people off the roads and onto transit.
Incent drivers to get out of their cars and don't kneecap or duplicate service.
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Post by piller on Mar 26, 2008 18:12:03 GMT -8
piller Doubly gracious beyond your mean, lol, thank you muchly, piller! Next Step: Express Lanes down Douglas "...When will you stop (your demands)?" say some, but I'm so thankful about the turn for the better that the direction of transit in BC has taken recently, heck we could have stayed status quo, tho the NDP still and always deserved credit for establishing the formidable network our province benefits from to this day (since the 70s) /begin rant Yes..isn't it nice that the provincial government, with their heavily subsidized bus service, can compete against the private sector. This'll get interesting...do ya think that the Liberal Government is gonna give me a job when Transit puts PCL out of business? I don't mean to be bitter, but how in the world can a private sector bus company (that has to make it on their own) compete with the Government subsidized service? PCL is now in a very uncomfortable position. Because the government has decided to do this, this will result in PCL's passenger counts to go down, causing PCL management to raise the fares (to pay for the new buses) , which in turn will send more passengers to Transit, and on and on and on... I'd like to point out that PCL (and it's predecessor companies VICL and Pacific Stage Lines) has operated this service since June 15 1960. yep, the very day that BC Ferries started service, there was a PCL bus on board. yes, almost 48 years of continual service. BC Transit didn't realize there was a ferry terminal there for almost 20 years! While I am all in favour of cheap, local subsidized transit, I must draw the line at BC Transit (and Coast Mountain as well) operating runs that are in direct competition with the private sector. If BC Transit (and Coast Mountain) want to operate in competition with the private sector, then those particular runs (Victoria - Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen - Vancouver) must make it on their own...no subsidies or government money. This is not Transit's first attack on the private sector. Eight or nine years ago, PCL was asked by UVic if we would operate a bus on Friday afternoon from the SUB to Vancouver. We did start, and did quite well at it until Transit decided to do the same thing a few months later. Well, you can guess what happened next...PCL's counts went in the toilet, and we had to drop the service. Transit has done the same thing to Greyhound and Grayline of Victoria, and now also to the Victoria Airport bus company...that company has to pay the Victoria Airport Authourity a percentage (between 15 to 25% of their gross income). Is BC Transit paying anything to the Victoria Airport? I think not.... With the proposed 'express service' Transit has decided to go into direct competition with PCL, and because of the fuel taxes and the property taxes that I have to pay, I get to help Transit PUT ME OUT OF A JOB!!!! Oh, and those Express Lanes down Douglas Street? Every business along the Douglas Street Corridor signed a petition against it...Its gonna get fun.... /end rant I think there Will always be a place for PCL or other such service. First on, first off beats public transit by a long shot with the benefit of no transferring or handling of luggage. Public transit is not suitable for anything more than a small carry-on. We have already run into this issues in the past in Victoria where people try to take large pieces of luggage on the bus and take up seating or clog the aisles. I also think it would reasonable for transit to structure the ferry-downtown fare so it is not highly subsidized. Transit buses also are equipped to carry bicycles (my preferred method of travel).
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Quatchi
Voyager
Engineering Officer - CCG
Posts: 930
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Post by Quatchi on Mar 26, 2008 19:01:36 GMT -8
When I was younger i took the PCL bus to my grandma's in Saanich. I remember noticing a couple of things about the ridership. Most of the people were Asian adults and were all dressed in nice suits and tourist clothing. Then when I took the City bus to my grandma's a couple of months ago (I started the thread) I noticed there were no adult Asian people and there were a lot of younger university type people and poorer people (Cant think of a better phrase).
What I am saying is from my experience I don't think PCL bus driver has to worry to much. The govt is creating a two-tier system, their will always be people whom are to "good" for transit and there will always be people who cant afford the PCL bus. I think the Govt wants to encourage transit use and help get some more cars off the road.
PCL Bus Driver is assuming that if there is a parallel service to the PCL system they are going to loose passengers. Maybe they will, but I think the Transit option will only increase the total number of transit passengers.
Really what I am saying is it is going to be a 2 tier system.
Cheers,
PS. PCL Bus Driver why did you use the word "attack"? To me it sounds like you are bashing the govt for trying to provide a service for the less fortunate members of society. Hopefully we aren't thinking the same thing!
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Post by Nickfro on Mar 26, 2008 19:36:10 GMT -8
I agree with PCL Driver on this issue. If people want to get to the central Victoria area, and in a relatively quicker fashion, then pay the extra amount for the PCL service. The last time I checked, people pay more for convenience, and that is what the PCL provides: first off the ferry and zip straight down the Pat Bay Hwy to Victoria.
Demand for all types of buses is definitely increasing each and every year, and fortunately both companies should be able to benefit from that, and hopefully PCL doesn't lose business. Demographics definitely play a role in ridership, but up until now there hasn't been a realistic alternative to the PCL from a ferry ridership perspective (seaplanes are commonly used for business types). Tourism helps, but in the off season and with this new Victoria Transit route, the PCL will undoubtedly encounter some tough times.
The one thing that really grinds my gears about ferry passengers taking public transit is definitely the baggage issue. There are way too many passengers that want to save a few bucks so they take public transit with their large luggage, which in turn reduces the capacity on the public transit buses. The transit companies should really enforce baggage restrictions where you have to be able to store your bag on your lap. If you can't, then say hi to a taxi, PCL, or get somebody to pick you up at the ferry terminal. I have seen on many occasions people getting left behind (and that's even with the double deckers!) and there is no doubt that a few more passengers could get on that bus if it wasn't for the riduculous volumes of excess luggage on public transit.
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Post by Dane on Mar 26, 2008 21:44:08 GMT -8
I agree with PCL Driver on this issue. If people want to get to the central Victoria area, and in a relatively quicker fashion, then pay the extra amount for the PCL service. The last time I checked, people pay more for convenience, and that is what the PCL provides: first off the ferry and zip straight down the Pat Bay Hwy to Victoria. I do not disagree with your logic, on the face of it, however public transit also has a mandate to run services that are the most convenient for the majority of the ridership. If we stretched your statement to the extreme (and I do not mean to imply this is what you meant) one could say Vancouver's 99 B Line express bus should be private, and the 9 a less convenient alternative could be public. This is effectively the argument here. PCL, an ex public company, uses the Highways obviously enough, and through that is already a subsidized form of transportation. Even with gas taxes and all that jazz Highways don't pay for themselves through the users - and as a result any commercial activity that takes place on them results in a defacto subsidy. If PCL offered a service that the government was not already involved in, or did not create, I could see more rational behind the argument of not allowing transit services, however here this is just another development of a service that is exactly in-line with the mandate of the BC Transit's Victoria Board. Demand for all types of buses is definitely increasing each and every year, and fortunately both companies should be able to benefit from that, and hopefully PCL doesn't lose business. Demographics definitely play a role in ridership, but up until now there hasn't been a realistic alternative to the PCL from a ferry ridership perspective (seaplanes are commonly used for business types). Tourism helps, but in the off season and with this new Victoria Transit route, the PCL will undoubtedly encounter some tough times. I imagine PCL will hold onto most of its Vancouver side business, personally I only ever ride PCL to Tsawwassen, never to/from Swartz Bay because of the public bus, or my work picks me up. In terms of business and government travel I am sure PCL will also keep those markets; I know for my employer our travel is based upon the cheapest mode of direct transit so to get to Victoria, where I frequently go, we are reimbursed for the cost of the PCL and I am certain will continue to be. PCL is not the sole proprietor to the idea of a direct service to Downtown from the ferry terminal, nor do they own the Highway or the public facilities at Swartz Bay.
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Neil
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Post by Neil on Mar 26, 2008 21:54:19 GMT -8
I sympathize with anyone faced with losing a job, but the issues of paramount importance here are getting people out of their cars and providing an efficient, affordable transit service between any points A and B. The idea of 'competition' in the world of urban transit is anachronistic- I see absolutely no point in subsidizing private operators, or leaving a portion of the field to them- when the job can be done as well or better by an integrated public system.
Did Greyhound complain when West Van began their express Horseshoe Bay run? Perhaps, but the public has voted with their patronage- those express buses are often packed. Private operators are going to have to retrench to the long haul services, and even there, to a certain extent, the public is demanding extension of public systems, as witnessed by the growth of service areas on Vancouver Island.
Public transit has come to be seen as an integral part of an environmentally and socially aware modern community, and I think the argument for competition or private operators is seen as increasingly irrelevant.
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Post by PCL Driver on Apr 1, 2008 18:05:22 GMT -8
PS. PCL Bus Driver why did you use the word "attack"? To me it sounds like you are bashing the govt for trying to provide a service for the less fortunate members of society. Hopefully we aren't thinking the same thing! Because Transit IS attacking the private sector bus companies. It's not just PCL, it's Greyhound and Grayline West as well. Transit has basically gone out of their way to infringe themselves on other companies routes. If PCL tomorrow were to start picking up passengers along the way to Swartz Bay, and only charging them $1 Transit would be flipping out on us, and report us to the Passenger Transportation Board. You see, it's OK for Transit to compete with us, but it's not OK for PCL to compete with them. And yes, this did happen in I think 1991 or 1992, when PCL DID start running passengers just to the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. We had a few old Suburban type coaches that we put on the run (they looked like the old Transit buses, but well marked with PCL on them. Transit has also expanded their service to the Butchart Gardens, and that had a very nasty effect of Grayline's passenger counts. Transit's excuse for going into the Gardens was that the staff needed a way to get to work...and that's why on Saturday Nights during the Summer Fireworks there are 10 - 15 Transit buses out at the Gardens...with the drivers all on overtime. I know this because I have a lot of friends that work over at Transit. Since when is it OK for Transit to get into the tourism market?
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Post by PCL Driver on Apr 1, 2008 18:10:24 GMT -8
If PCL offered a service that the government was not already involved in, or did not create, I could see more rational behind the argument of not allowing transit services, however here this is just another development of a service that is exactly in-line with the mandate of the BC Transit's Victoria Board. PCL DID offer (and create) a service that the Government was not involved in...Victoria to Vancouver via BC Ferries with pick ups enroute. We were there first as a private company, then as a Crown Corp. when the NDP bought it all, then again as a private company.
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Post by PCL Driver on Apr 1, 2008 18:18:59 GMT -8
I sympathize with anyone faced with losing a job, but the issues of paramount importance here are getting people out of their cars and providing an efficient, affordable transit service between any points A and B. The idea of 'competition' in the world of urban transit is anachronistic- I see absolutely no point in subsidizing private operators, or leaving a portion of the field to them- when the job can be done as well or better by an integrated public system. Did Greyhound complain when West Van began their express Horseshoe Bay run? Perhaps, but the public has voted with their patronage- those express buses are often packed. Private operators are going to have to retrench to the long haul services, and even there, to a certain extent, the public is demanding extension of public systems, as witnessed by the growth of service areas on Vancouver Island. Public transit has come to be seen as an integral part of an environmentally and socially aware modern community, and I think the argument for competition or private operators is seen as increasingly irrelevant. PCL does get people out of their cars...and onto buses...which I believe is one of your points here...but, we can do it more efficiently, as we do it without our hand in the pocket of the taxpayer. Once again my point...why is it OK to heavily subsidize a public sector Bus company, but not a private one, who was there first?
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Quatchi
Voyager
Engineering Officer - CCG
Posts: 930
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Post by Quatchi on Apr 1, 2008 20:53:24 GMT -8
PS. PCL Bus Driver why did you use the word "attack"? To me it sounds like you are bashing the govt for trying to provide a service for the less fortunate members of society. Hopefully we aren't thinking the same thing! Because Transit IS attacking the private sector bus companies. It's not just PCL, it's Greyhound and Grayline West as well. Transit has basically gone out of their way to infringe themselves on other companies routes. If PCL tomorrow were to start picking up passengers along the way to Swartz Bay, and only charging them $1 Transit would be flipping out on us, and report us to the Passenger Transportation Board. You see, it's OK for Transit to compete with us, but it's not OK for PCL to compete with them. And yes, this did happen in I think 1991 or 1992, when PCL DID start running passengers just to the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. We had a few old Suburban type coaches that we put on the run (they looked like the old Transit buses, but well marked with PCL on them. Transit has also expanded their service to the Butchart Gardens, and that had a very nasty effect of Grayline's passenger counts. Transit's excuse for going into the Gardens was that the staff needed a way to get to work...and that's why on Saturday Nights during the Summer Fireworks there are 10 - 15 Transit buses out at the Gardens...with the drivers all on overtime. I know this because I have a lot of friends that work over at Transit. Since when is it OK for Transit to get into the tourism market? I see how it is unfair for the government to not allow PCL to provide a mass transit solution. I didn't realize this had been happening. I thought that they would spring at the idea of someone else providing a service and spending their own money to do it. Sounds like you gotta switch to a transit job ;D, but heh live your own life. I got no place telling you what to do with it. I'm a proud supporter of a Gov't owned BC. I would have loved to be around during the days of BCFS, BCGas, BCTel, BCHydro . So, I think service like Bus should be completely run by the Gov't. I guess you could call me a Dictator or a sociallist, but thats fine to me. Ahh, thinking of the good ol days when the Gov't owned BC. Cheers,
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,177
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Post by Neil on Apr 2, 2008 21:35:07 GMT -8
PCL does get people out of their cars...and onto buses...which I believe is one of your points here...but, we can do it more efficiently, as we do it without our hand in the pocket of the taxpayer. Once again my point...why is it OK to heavily subsidize a public sector Bus company, but not a private one, who was there first? Because we own the public system, and I just don't see the logic in subsidizing a number of private operators when we have a public system ready to be expanded, which the public supports. And PCL's operations have, with time, shrunk so much that it's pretty apparent there is little they can offer without having their 'hand in the pocket of the taxpayer'. It's just the nature of regional transit. As to the point of PCL being here first, that may be true, but if we extend that logic to the ferry system, we would still be trying to cajole CP and Black Ball to respond to the needs of the travelling public. Bad enough with our ersatz private firm. I'm not trying to be callous, and I really hope PCL Driver stays gainfully employed. Most people, though, including myself, probably favour the expansion of an efficient public transit system.
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Post by PCL Driver on Apr 3, 2008 5:44:13 GMT -8
PCL does get people out of their cars...and onto buses...which I believe is one of your points here...but, we can do it more efficiently, as we do it without our hand in the pocket of the taxpayer. Once again my point...why is it OK to heavily subsidize a public sector Bus company, but not a private one, who was there first? Because we own the public system, and I just don't see the logic in subsidizing a number of private operators when we have a public system ready to be expanded, which the public supports. And PCL's operations have, with time, shrunk so much that it's pretty apparent there is little they can offer without having their 'hand in the pocket of the taxpayer'. It's just the nature of regional transit. As to the point of PCL being here first, that may be true, but if we extend that logic to the ferry system, we would still be trying to cajole CP and Black Ball to respond to the needs of the travelling public. Bad enough with our ersatz private firm. I'm not trying to be callous, and I really hope PCL Driver stays gainfully employed. Most people, though, including myself, probably favour the expansion of an efficient public transit system. All we at PCL want is to be left alone to do our thing...without being run out of business by a heavily subisdized government transit system. And, just to be clear, PCL's operations have shrunk due to Transit's encroachment onto our routes.
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Post by Retrovision on Apr 4, 2008 1:44:03 GMT -8
I'll take time to read your insightful posts when I get a chance - realizing that a certain road is apparently paved with the same kind of intentions - but I need to get across this point now... Victoria is now a Single Zone Fare transit system
For details, please see: www.busonline.ca/regions/vic/fares
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Post by PCL Driver on Apr 5, 2008 5:01:06 GMT -8
Yep...another nail in the private sector bus companies coffins......
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Post by kylefossett on Apr 5, 2008 15:54:34 GMT -8
With the government by way of transit doing the same routes as the private sector (PCL, Greyhound) this means we will never see tranist from the Mission area to Vancouver(Translink) other then the train. Why would tranist offer a route like that when Greyhound only offers 2 trips a day along this coridor? I guess there is not enough passengers on Greyhound for Transit to steal.
PCL Driver, I agree with all your points. How is the private sector supposed to compete with a public sector that is so highly subsidized. Last time I took the PCL from the ferry into Victoria, I believe the cost was around $12-$15 one way (not including ferry fare). I might be a little off in price but pretty sure it was close to that. Transit at the time was around $2.50? The operating cost have to be pretty close between the 2 operations. This means that the gov't is subsidizing transit almost $10/passenger on this route. I am surpirsed that PCL is still in business. If I wanted to start a service along this route I would have to go to the Transportation Commission and PCL could argue against me and I could lose out a chance to start up this service. If I was transit and wanted to start service on this route all I would ave to do is find the buses and print the schedule. Is this fair? NO
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Post by cohocatcher on Apr 5, 2008 17:23:55 GMT -8
I disagree that the operating costs of public transit and a private firm would be close to one another.
The private firm would be making a profit (otherwise they would cease the business). The standard ROI (return on Investment) is, at a minimum, 20%.
It might very well be that the private company may have to pay more to obtain financial capital to initiate the business, whereas the public company can acquire funds at government (lower) rates of interest.
There are many other considerations for a private versus a 'public funded" enterprise, but with government (whether municipal, provincial, or federal) backing, the public service should always be cheaper .
Is this right? That's a political decision that I leave to others.
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Post by Northern Exploration on Apr 5, 2008 17:24:44 GMT -8
My personal belief is that government should provide basic services to the public and ensure things like transit are widely available at the lowest reasonable cost. When there is private enterprise providing a good service I do not believe that government should use their ability to compete unfairly to put private enterprise out of business. Instead they should compromise and work alongside the private business to help make it a success. For example a PCL customer should be able to buy some sort of combo ticket and transfer onto public transit. I live in a region where government simply cannot afford to provide all the transit that is needed. If some sort of combo ticket were possible a believe a lot of private services would materialize helping to get alot cars off the road and onto public transit at keypoints. It has taken an absolute embarassing number of years to just get to the place where a combo ticket among government agencies will be possible when this should be a no brainer. The government of Ontario runs some, the city of Toronto runs some, and the municipalities run a bunch of others.
*spelling
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Neil
Voyager
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Post by Neil on Apr 5, 2008 18:31:29 GMT -8
With the government by way of transit doing the same routes as the private sector (PCL, Greyhound) this means we will never see tranist from the Mission area to Vancouver(Translink) other then the train. Why would tranist offer a route like that when Greyhound only offers 2 trips a day along this coridor? I guess there is not enough passengers on Greyhound for Transit to steal. PCL Driver, I agree with all your points. How is the private sector supposed to compete with a public sector that is so highly subsidized. Last time I took the PCL from the ferry into Victoria, I believe the cost was around $12-$15 one way (not including ferry fare). I might be a little off in price but pretty sure it was close to that. Transit at the time was around $2.50? The operating cost have to be pretty close between the 2 operations. This means that the gov't is subsidizing transit almost $10/passenger on this route. I am surpirsed that PCL is still in business. If I wanted to start a service along this route I would have to go to the Transportation Commission and PCL could argue against me and I could lose out a chance to start up this service. If I was transit and wanted to start service on this route all I would ave to do is find the buses and print the schedule. Is this fair? NO Okay, here's a project for you, Kyle. Try organizing a protest against the expansion of public transit, and the elimination of fare zones in Victoria. Try to get people all worked up about the need to subsidize private transit operators to compete against the public system. Something tells me you won't need to print up too many placards. Your figure on subsidies is wildly inaccurate. I believe transit fares return, on average, about 40% of the operating cost. That means that on a fare of $2.50, the subsidy is about $3.50, not $10 as you suggested. The West Coast Express is even more efficient, covering over 70% of it's costs.
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Post by kylefossett on Apr 5, 2008 23:42:27 GMT -8
a subsidy is still a subsidy. ths is something that the private sector does not recieve
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Post by BreannaF on Apr 6, 2008 0:10:35 GMT -8
Two choices for getting from here to there, presuming flying is impractical for this trip: bus Transfer: 7:17a - BURRARD STN BAY 9 On route: "98 RICHMOND CTR B-LINE" Arrive: 7:46a - AIRPORT STN BAY 2 transfer bus Transfer: 8:00a - AIRPORT STN BAY 2 On route: "620 TSAWW. FERRY" Arrive: 8:40a - TSAWWASSEN FERRY TERMINAL
Walk on to ferry.
Get off ferry and get on the new direct Victoria Transit route to Victoria.
$5.00 + $13.00 + $2.25 = $20.25 each way.
Or, get on a PCL bus and get there in less time, without transferring, with the luggage taken care of, and without walking from the bus to the ferry and back for $40.00.
If I am a young person on a day trip (which doesn't leave a lot of time in Victoria or Vancouver), who has more time than money, then sure, the public transit option is a choice. But if I am a normal person standing in Downtown Vancouver with a bag in my hand looking to get to Victoria, I head to the PCL stop. The extra $20.00 or so is just the cost of getting there. If getting there is of value to me, it's worth it to take a direct line to my destination. If I am a tourist, I am not going to bother with public transit on both sides, if I could even figure it out. If it's a business trip, the time savings makes it worth the extra cash. On any trip where I would be overnight in a hotel, the difference in cost in getting there is small compared to other costs involved in the trip.
Sure, any new option will siphon off a few passengers. Yes, I do think it's unfair that a public entity is trying to take over a privately operated route. But until it takes fewer than 3 buses and a ferry to get from A to B, or until the public bus gets in the ferry, I'm not sure there's a lot to worry about. (I hope I'm right.)
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Post by Dane on Apr 6, 2008 8:46:13 GMT -8
kyle fossett, Mission is not in TL's operating area; the only reason they have the WCE is because it provided the most reasonable area for a holding a light maint. yard. Don't read too deeply into why there are no TL buses, it's simply because it's not their jurisdiction. TL recieves a small subsidy every year for serving residents outside of Metro Van with the WCE, and one bus route that also leaves Metro Van.
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Post by kylefossett on Apr 6, 2008 16:58:28 GMT -8
I know it is not in the translink area but bc transit can still run a connection bus into maple ridge to connect with translink. it is simple to do with a little funding from both
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Post by Dane on Apr 6, 2008 19:15:12 GMT -8
I know it is not in the translink area but bc transit can still run a connection bus into maple ridge to connect with translink. it is simple to do with a little funding from both They have done so with Abbotsford this year - it is actually fairly expensive because it entails an extra bus running with very small ridership, and for smaller BC Transit systems (such as all of them in the Fraser Valley) an addition of a bus is a lot - not to say I disagree with you at all, but this is the reason there hasn't been a lot of action on this front. The mandate of the SCBCTA is to expand, so perhaps Abby and Mission are "next."
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