An Olympic transit bus driver who came to Sea to Sky Corridor to help with enhanced service is speaking out this week, saying B.C. Transit's lack of organization and communication to drivers is to blame for service frustrations.
"B.C. Transit dropped the ball on this," he said. "We had three days of training We didn't get a chance to see all the routes. The trainers did their best, but they weren't provided with adequate information either. It was pretty poor."
The driver, who spoke to The Question on condition of anonymity, said that as of Monday (Feb. 8) -just one week into the beefed up bus service - 40 of the 250 bus drivers who came from across Canada for the Games have quit and returned home.
The driver added it's not just the lack of training, route confusion and frustrated customers that are taking a toll. Many of the drivers didn't realize they would be staying in Squamish and working more than an hour away by bus in Whistler. The commute is currently adding about three unpaid hours to the 10-hour workday, he said.
B.C. Transit spokesperson Joanna Morton disputed that number on Tuesday (Feb. 9), saying that only seven drivers have left for "various reasons." Of those, two quit early on in training because "it wasn't what they had expected," she said. All the other drivers are happy to be here, Morton added.
However at least a few passengers don't appear happy, as frustrations with ill-informed drivers and changes to transit services came to a head on Sunday (Feb. 7) with the assault of a driver on board a bus in Whistler.
Morton said a driver was engaged in a conversation with a customer who seemed "agitated" when two other male passengers got involved. At one point, one of the passengers grabbed the driver's shirt collar, she said.
The men then left the bus and the operator drove to the Main Street transit exchange to report the incident to a B.C. Transit supervisor, Morton said. Police were called and the passengers were apprehended when they boarded another bus. The driver said he didn't want to press charges and the passengers apologized, she said.
"It was a disturbing experience," Morton said. "It's definitely something we don't want to happen to our staff Safety is our number one priority."
Morton said the driver has continued to work.
Training and manuals inadequate
The driver who approached The Question with his story said he wanted to help "put Canada's best foot forward" by coming to Whistler to drive for the Olympics. He gave up his vacation time for next year to come.
The drivers are doing their best and understand why some people are frustrated, but it's "really tough" to figure out routes in a new place with "incomplete or wrong" training manuals and after training sessions done at night, he said.
Drivers got about 15 minutes of training on each of the highway coaches, double-decker buses and the hydrogen buses, which continue to break down, he said.
"The biggest part of it is the disorganization," he said. "We're doing the job that B.C. Transit should have done ahead of time for us."
He said he's thought about quitting, but he still wants to represent his city, transit company and Canada. Things are starting to get better as drivers get more familiar with the routes, but he's concerned that it will get tougher still when the Olympic crowds arrive.
Overall, passengers have been "great" and have helped make the experience positive, he said.
"We're just trying to help people," he said. "Our goal is to go out and do our job well."
Morton said drivers started to arrive Jan. 26 and 27, and training started right away. Drivers were also sent maps and information before they arrived so they could prepare, she said.
"Our safety, security and training staff have been working very closely with all the operators," Morton said. "Training has been extensive."
Despite reports this week of service delays and people being passed by at stops by nearly empty buses, Morton said the bugs that were expected with greatly enhanced service are being worked out.
"We're monitoring the service 24/7," she said. "We're working diligently to make sure we're able to provide the service we're promoting."
