4TheRcrd Mag.

Translink wants more revenue from fares and more ridership. How about they start by making transit more enjoyable. In fact, how about they start with the drivers. In my experience 80% of drivers have no customer service skills whatsoever. They treat the riders like cattle. Though unpleasant, I’ve grown to accept this as the usual transit service in Vancouver.

My criticism is directed to the 15% of drivers that are not suitable for the job. The drivers that go to the extent of belittling riders, the drivers that publicly reprimand people for having the wrong change, or the drivers that rudely suggests to people that, “next time [they] should plan [their] trip better.” These are just a few of the examples I’ve personally listened to in the past 5 mins. While writing this article, I am riding the 98 Bline northbound from Richmond Centre.

I understand that the public puts a lot of pressure on the drivers to arrive at their stops on time. I imagine this is what causes the drivers to act the way they do. I doubt that bus driving is ever a simple job, due to its close relationship with the public. However, no human has the right to treat others with the level of disrespect that is handed out daily on our transit system.

For those of you that are skilled in the area of mathematics, you may have noticed the 5% missing from my equation. This 5% is reserved for the Translink drivers that go out of their way to do an exceptional job. I sincerely hope you know who you are because you are one of Vancouver’s greatest assets. Among other things, you create positive experiences for tourists, you check to make sure the elderly are in their seats safely and most importantly you make all riders feel like part of a caring community. This feeling of community does wonders for all aspects of our society. RAF