22 November 2010

I think Action is doing alright.

| far_northact
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I know most people on RiotACT have issues with Action buses, but I think they are doing alright. I live near Casey and think this new ‘my way/smart card’ system is awesome – if you’re on a bus (i.e. the 51 route) that seems to have rolled out the new machines, and taken away the old machines = free travel.

On a serious note though, I wanted to know when they would be introducing new services through my suburb, and emailed Action through ‘Canberra Connect’ they responded within a week and apart from some other waffle about number of users, and years to introduce new routes, I thought this might be of interest to any northsiders:

“In the interim, TAMS will be installing “lockup bike rails” at some bus stops on routes 51 and 52 for the use of new residents, until coverage services are introduced into Casey. Another travel alternative you might wish to consider is taking advantage of a new park and ride facility which will be constructed at EPIC in the next 6 – 8 months. The REDEX buses will continue to depart from Gungahlin Town Centre for the city every fifteen minutes from 7am to 7pm on weekdays, so parking and riding at Gungahlin may also be an option in the short term.”

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ACTION doing alright ?? haha thats laughable.

Whilst I’m enjoying many many free rides and shouldn’t complain, ACTION need to make ALOT of improvements. Starting with the psycho drivers who gun it between stops then slam on the brakes.

far_northact8:10 am 23 Nov 10

I-filed said :

Guvvie PR person posting?

I’m in no way affiliated with Action. Usually I hate them, and everything about them. But I do like free travel to and from work because they have taken away the old machines (from my route/the buses I catch). FTR – I wouldn’t catch a bus if I had an alternative.

Guvvie PR person posting?

MWF said :

Kuku said :

Shame they couldn’t get it together last Tuesday when they left up to 30 kids waiting for the 559 school bus. The time table changed by 5 minutes…but due to ‘driver error’ it left 15 minutes early. I’m still waiting for Action to get back to me…..

On that day that bus did actually leave right on time. Otherwise, my kid would have missed it and he didn’t. I suspect that the new timetable meant the driver stopped a little longer at each stop on the way to wait for kids the driver saw legging it to the bus stop.

At Wanniassa it apparently arrived around 8-ish instead of 8.15. There are usually up to 10 – 12 kids at the stop and everyone missed it. I spent quite a while ferrying kids the 10 or so kms to school.

Kuku said :

Shame they couldn’t get it together last Tuesday when they left up to 30 kids waiting for the 559 school bus. The time table changed by 5 minutes…but due to ‘driver error’ it left 15 minutes early. I’m still waiting for Action to get back to me…..

On that day that bus did actually leave right on time. Otherwise, my kid would have missed it and he didn’t. I suspect that the new timetable meant the driver stopped a little longer at each stop on the way to wait for kids the driver saw legging it to the bus stop.

Gungahlin Al5:01 pm 22 Nov 10

Grail said :

Now if only they could get their Google Transit project to progress further than the drawing board, I’d be a happy camper.

There’s a world of difference between sitting down with the complete set of ACTION route maps, figuring out your commute to work by hand, versus simply asking Google (or alternative… does anyone know alternatives to Google Transit?) and having an answer in seconds.

There is no doubt about it – their website and trying to find your way with their route information is quite simply horrible. If nothing else, surely this would be the key put-off for potential new passengers?

If you want to see what it COULD be like, check out the Qld Government/Brisbane City Council site: http://translink.com.au/ and try out the route planner tool.

Now that’s the way to deliver a public transport website.

I note the tender notices in the Saturday paper listed a live passenger information system – another important tool if you want to make sure people are left standing at stops wondering…

I’d suggest smartphone apps would then be next on the list for a smart PT operator…

And yes – the amount of free riding going on at the moment is amazing isn’t it? Funny way to run a “business”…

The old ticket machines are not being taken away because of the new system (MyWay). The reason why the new system is being brought in is because the old machines were getting more difficult to maintain, due to lack of spare parts. There are many buses which have both systems (magnetic strip card validator + new ticket machine) working – so it is not true that the new system is the reason why the old machines have been removed from some buses.

So ACTION’s official answer to “why does Casey not have a bus service” is: ride your bike or park your car. (Depsite there being no official Park n Ride at Gungahlin Town Centre.) Remind me again, isn’t ACTION supposed to be a Public Transport operator? Isn’t it their raison d’etre to provide bus services to where people live?

Shame they couldn’t get it together last Tuesday when they left up to 30 kids waiting for the 559 school bus. The time table changed by 5 minutes…but due to ‘driver error’ it left 15 minutes early. I’m still waiting for Action to get back to me…..

Now if only they could get their Google Transit project to progress further than the drawing board, I’d be a happy camper.

There’s a world of difference between sitting down with the complete set of ACTION route maps, figuring out your commute to work by hand, versus simply asking Google (or alternative… does anyone know alternatives to Google Transit?) and having an answer in seconds.

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