Lawsuit forces bus drivers to call out all stops

[ITcomputer]

Here is a letter to the Toronto Sun from a TTC driver.

Time for stress leave I think??


No talking on the bus

Re "TTC told to announce stops" (July 27): So, David Lepofsky is claiming to have won another victory for the rights of the citizens of this city, blind or otherwise. As a bus operator for the TTC, I now feel it is my duty to ensure when people enter my vehicle I ask them to remove all personal music devices and to cease from engaging in cellphone calls or anything else that might distract them or others from hearing the stops I am announcing. If anyone has a problem with this please contact Mr. Lepofsky and the human rights tribunal as it is their decision to ensure people can clearly hear the announced stops and it is a violation of their rights if they cannot.

Jason Boyd

(Snarky)

 

[ShonTron]

I was in Mississauga yesterday evening - the stop announcments on MT appear to be hit-and-miss. On the 202, there were stop announcments, but not on the other buses. BT doesn't do this.

 

[unimaginative2]

I really do wonder about the job future of someone working in the private sector who writes a letter to the editor about how terrible his boss' orders are.

 

[Tuscani01]

I was in Mississauga yesterday evening - the stop announcments on MT appear to be hit-and-miss. On the 202, there were stop announcments, but not on the other buses. BT doesn't do this.

I have never heard stop announcements on MT... but I don't really take it often.

 

[doady]

Only some MT drivers do stop announcements, even though they are all supposed to. Bus drivers are just lazy. This is the same reason that MT had to change its fare policy so that bus drivers no longer had to adjust the length of transfer slips; the drivers were just too lazy to do it. So now I never get 2 hour transfers, usually its just 75 or 90 minutes.

 

[dowlingm]

But the tribunal heard that drivers are already under orders to call all stops when their transit vehicle is extremely crowded or bad weather makes it difficult for everyone to see out the windows.

And that's why he won. Being blind must be pretty shit, I can't blame him for trying to get the best service he can. He could probably take Wheeltrans instead if he wanted, which would cost us $25 each way and him a token.

 

[doady]

Mississauga Transit Operators to Announce All Bus Stop Locations

On June 1, 2008, Mississauga Transit operators will begin announcing all bus stop locations to help passengers of all ages and abilities.

In particular, starting on June 1, 2008, Mississauga Transit operators will be required to manually announce all bus stop locations on routes where the next stop, bus stop signs have been completely installed. The signage is being installed on our busiest routes first.

The route-by-route implementation schedule is outlined below:

Effective June 1, 2008: Routes 1 – Dundas and 19 – Hurontario.

Effective June 15, 2008: Routes 3 – Bloor and 26 Burnhamthorpe.

Effective June 29, 2008: Routes 5 – Dixie and 7 – Airport.

Effective July 13, 2008: Routes 13 – Glen Erin and 61 – Mavis.

Our web site will be updated regularly as next stop, bus stop sign installation is completed and additional routes are added to the list of routes where Mississauga Transit operators are required to manually announce all bus stop locations. On routes where the next stop, bus stop signs have not been completely installed, Operators are required to announce the bus stops located at major intersections and terminals, or at the passenger’s request.

By the late fall of 2008 next stop, bus stop sign installation is targeted to be completed on all of our routes, and Mississauga Transit operators will be required to manually announce bus stop locations, system wide.

For safety reasons, our valued customers are reminded not to speak to our transit operators while the bus in motion. As well, our customers are advised to please be patient since our buses may be making more frequent stops, to allow our transit operators to safely make the bus stop announcements.

“We recognize the diverse needs of our passengers, and this enhanced level of accessible service will help passengers enjoy travelling on our buses”, says Director of Mississauga Transit, Geoff Marinoff.

 

[taal]

Mississauga Transit Operators to Announce All Bus Stop Locations

On June 1, 2008, Mississauga Transit operators will begin announcing all bus stop locations to help passengers of all ages and abilities.

In particular, starting on June 1, 2008, Mississauga Transit operators will be required to manually announce all bus stop locations on routes where the next stop, bus stop signs have been completely installed. The signage is being installed on our busiest routes first.

The route-by-route implementation schedule is outlined below:

Effective June 1, 2008: Routes 1 – Dundas and 19 – Hurontario.

Effective June 15, 2008: Routes 3 – Bloor and 26 Burnhamthorpe.

Effective June 29, 2008: Routes 5 – Dixie and 7 – Airport.

Effective July 13, 2008: Routes 13 – Glen Erin and 61 – Mavis.

Our web site will be updated regularly as next stop, bus stop sign installation is completed and additional routes are added to the list of routes where Mississauga Transit operators are required to manually announce all bus stop locations. On routes where the next stop, bus stop signs have not been completely installed, Operators are required to announce the bus stops located at major intersections and terminals, or at the passenger’s request.

By the late fall of 2008 next stop, bus stop sign installation is targeted to be completed on all of our routes, and Mississauga Transit operators will be required to manually announce bus stop locations, system wide.

For safety reasons, our valued customers are reminded not to speak to our transit operators while the bus in motion. As well, our customers are advised to please be patient since our buses may be making more frequent stops, to allow our transit operators to safely make the bus stop announcements.

“We recognize the diverse needs of our passengers, and this enhanced level of accessible service will help passengers enjoy travelling on our busesâ€, says Director of Mississauga Transit, Geoff Marinoff.

Admittedly I read this very quickly but I really really really do not understand the sentence above.

So if I understand correctly the busses will stop to allow the bus driver to make the announcement?

Okay so they'll stop at a regular stop and then be on their way, in the middle between the previous and next stop they'll stop again to make the announcement? ?

I'm really trying to understand the "more frequent stops" ... longer stops ... that I can understand.

 

[smuncky]

as a quick note, i was on the 99 yonge south bus last night and they now have an automated service going with an LED display just like on the TTC busses.

however, it didn't call out any stops between steeles and bantry/scott. i'm not sure if it was some sort of glitch, but the stop calling resumed after 16th ave.

 

[drum118]

Admittedly I read this very quickly but I really really really do not understand the sentence above.

So if I understand correctly the busses will stop to allow the bus driver to make the announcement?

Okay so they'll stop at a regular stop and then be on their way, in the middle between the previous and next stop they'll stop again to make the announcement? ?

I'm really trying to understand the "more frequent stops" ... longer stops ... that I can understand.

As it stands today, drivers are to come to a full stop at each stop to make the next stop announcement regardless there no one getting off/on the bus.

As I told the Union boys in chambers today, this is a joke and I have taken steps to support the union claims.

Based on the statement by management, I will go before council and show them the Joke standards location of the sign as drivers will be lost to find them in the dark based on what is out there on Route #3.

There was a closed door on the Next Stop Issue at today council meeting.

The union is partly to blame since less than 20% of driver call out Major Stop today as per 2006 policy. Even if you set under the PA speaker you have no idea what was said in the first place and this is on 300's up NFI buses.

The run time just got longer and so will the headways which goes against the grain where transit has to be.

 

[drum118]

Three Quarters of Ontario Transit Providers Commit to Announce all Stops

* Send this page to somebody
* Print this page

For immediate publication
May 6, 2008

Toronto -

The Ontario Human Rights Commission today announced that thirty-one
transit providers have committed to begin announcing all stops by this
fall. This result was obtained after the Commission launched an
inquiry into Transit Stop Announcements in the fall of 2007 to help
riders with disabilities.

In its Report entitled "Next Stop, Accessibility," the Commission
states that, of the 38 provincially regulated transit providers surveyed:

* 25 committed to begin announcing all stops by June 30, 2008
* 2 more are almost ready to do so.
* 4 indicated that they would begin announcing all stops in the
fall of 2008
* 2 described plans for longer term compliance over the next 2-4 years
* 2 made no commitments, referring instead to commitments to meet
future standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with
Disabilities Act
* 3 did not provide sufficient information about their intentions
or timelines for implementation.

At the outset of the inquiry, only the Toronto Transit Commission was
announcing all stops. The transit providers that have since committed
to announce all stops span the province, and range in size from small
to very large systems: their efforts represent a considerable
advancement in transit accessibility. "The result is that over a
relatively short period of time, persons with visual impairments and
other transit riders will enjoy a significant improvement in services
that are so essential to their daily lives," said Chief Commissioner
Barbara Hall.

In 2007, the Commission noted both progress and setbacks relating to
accessibility in transit for persons with disabilities. In July 2007,
the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario released an important decision,
Lepofsky v. Toronto Transit Commission, requiring the TTC to begin
announcing all stops on buses and streetcars that summer. Yet one
month later, the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario's Transportation
Standards Development Committee proposed a standard that would delay
the calling of stops by years.

"Transit providers have taken many important steps in recent years to
become more accessible, despite competing demands and financial
pressures," commented Barbara Hall. "The Commission believes that
rather than addressing barriers one human rights complaint at a time,
it is preferable that municipalities and their transit providers
improve accessibility for riders with disabilities proactively and
cooperatively," added Hall.

To view the Commission's Report on Public Transit Stop Announcements
in Ontario or its submission on the proposed standard please visit
www.ohrc.on.ca.

 

[Observer Walt]

As it stands today, drivers are to come to a full stop at each stop to make the next stop announcement regardless there no one getting off/on the bus.

If this is the case, it is indeed a joke. What purpose would be served by this?

Hopefully drivers will learn the stops and not be dependent on the signs. I agree that the ones I have seen posted so far (Routes 3 and 1) are not all well positioned and easy to read.

 

[taal]

As it stands today, drivers are to come to a full stop at each stop to make the next stop announcement regardless there no one getting off/on the bus.

As I told the Union boys in chambers today, this is a joke and I have taken steps to support the union claims.

Based on the statement by management, I will go before council and show them the Joke standards location of the sign as drivers will be lost to find them in the dark based on what is out there on Route #3.

There was a closed door on the Next Stop Issue at today council meeting.

The union is partly to blame since less than 20% of driver call out Major Stop today as per 2006 policy. Even if you set under the PA speaker you have no idea what was said in the first place and this is on 300's up NFI buses.

The run time just got longer and so will the headways which goes against the grain where transit has to be.

You're joking right? That's hard to believe and I thought it was just an error in the press release.

 

[RedRocket191]

This reeks of a classic tactic to force a change in policy at the provincial level.

This is the equivalent of picking up your baseball and leaving after you strikeout.

 

[ShonTron]

There's a comment on another forum about the lawyer that is interesting (not sure if this is true) . My feeling is that he does seem to be imposing too much on transit drivers. However, Mississauga Transit's response is also really dumb and counter-productive.

I've always thought that call-out of major stops, and of any others upon request was an adequate policy, at least until they get automated announcements on-line. Calling out each insignificant stop is, IMO, overkill without automated announcements.

The subway, with two-person crews (allowing the conductor to make the announcements while the driver drives), mandatory stops, and no way to request stops, was another matter.