City Bus Driver

The art of letting drivers out, bus driver edition, as a bus driver, I like to think of myself as a courteous knight of the road... ... but sometimes, I feel like the gatekeeper of a medieval drawbridge. Everyone wants out, and it's up to me to decide who gets to cross. The trickiest part? Those puppy eyes. You know the ones, when a driver glances over, all hopeful, with an expression that says, "Please, oh noble bus driver, grant me this one favour. I’ll love you forever." It gets me every time. When puppy dog eyes meet a bus driver’s resolve, courtesy on the road with a touch of humour and a dash of traffic karma. There I am, trying to stay on schedule, but as soon as I see that "I’m just a small hatchback in a big world" look, my resolve crumbles. Some drivers have mastered this art to Oscar-worthy levels. Add a little nod and an apologetic shrug, and I’m already reaching for the metaphorical drawbridge lever. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good than...

When the Evening Commute Takes 44% Longer: Urban centres around the world grapple with the challenges of congestion, but some stand out as stark examples of how traffic can transform a simple commute into a test of patience.  In one city, recent studies have revealed that during evening rush hours, journeys take an average of 44% longer than under free-flow conditions. This striking figure has raised questions about the causes and consequences of urban congestion, as well as potential solutions to mitigate its impact. Understanding the Numbers The congestion level of 44% was derived through meticulous data collection and analysis. Travel times were recorded along key routes during both peak evening hours and periods of minimal traffic. By comparing the duration of these trips, researchers determined the percentage increase caused by congestion. For example, a journey that might take 30 minutes in free-flow traffic swells to 43.2 minutes during the evening rush. This additional 13.2...

The Road Ahead: Strategic Priorities for Bus Operators in 2025: Urban transportation is in a constant state of evolution, and bus operators remain at the heart of ensuring cities move efficiently.  Buses provide essential links to employment, education, and vital services, maintaining the rhythm of urban life. As 2025 unfolds, operators face a blend of challenges and opportunities that require innovative approaches to meet changing demands. Integrating advanced technologies, committing to sustainability, and prioritising customer satisfaction will define the strategies that shape the future of public transit. One of the most significant shifts lies in enhancing the customer experience. Today’s passengers expect more personalised travel options, and advances in data analytics make this possible. Imagine boarding a bus where lighting, temperature, and seating arrangements align with your preferences based on past journeys. Operators can now use data to offer tailored services, from r...

No matter how carefully we plan, time has a way of slipping through our fingers, mocking our efforts, twisting our schedules, and reminding us who’s really in charge. From the mysterious ‘system time’ that defies logic to the unsung heroes battling the chaos behind the scenes, this year has been a testament to the absurdity of managing the unmanageable. As 2024 ticks away, let’s take a satirical dive into the relentless, unpredictable, and often comical war between man and the clock. The Great Timekeeping Illusion: Who’s Really in Control? As 2024 draws to a close, it's that time of year again, time to look back, to reflect, and perhaps most poignantly, to realise just how quickly the past 12 months have slipped away. It’s as though time itself has a mischievous grin, always a step ahead of us, leaving us in its wake, desperately trying to catch up. And yet, in our valiant pursuit of it, we find ourselves documenting the very thing that remains elusive. Whether it’s the bewildering...

Stranded passengers, a howling storm, and a bus going out of service—bad news all around. But with one perfectly timed announcement, I turned their frustration into laughter. Sometimes, the right punchline is all it takes to save the night. Turning Bad News into Good Laughs It was the final stretch of my Hogmanay shift, and the clock was ticking down—just 30 minutes to go before I could leave the bus behind and dive into the evening’s festivities. But, of course, the radio crackled with the dreaded words: “Due to operational reasons…” My heart sank. No shuttle van for me; instead, I was instructed to offload my passengers and send them on their way. And just to make things a little more interesting, it was a blustery evening, with a yellow weather warning in place. Oh, and the fireworks display had been cancelled. A perfect night for a bus ride, right? Fireworks illuminate the night sky as buses roll through the city, adding to the festive spirit of New Year's Eve celebrations. Whe...

Time bends at the relief point, where schedules are fiction, clocks disagree, and backend systems rewrite reality at will, turning a simple coffee break into an impossible dream lost in a bureaucratic time warp. Coffee Break Calculations The relief point. To most people, it’s just a bus stop. To me, it’s the Bermuda Triangle of time, a place where clocks lose their purpose, schedules become fictional, and a bus driver’s dreams of a coffee break are crushed by the cruel hands of a dozen warring timelines. It all started when I arrived at 13:34, a full seven minutes behind the Scheduled Bus Arrival Time (S-BAT) of 13:27. A rogue cyclist had swerved in front of my bus, and a pedestrian decided to cross the road at a pace that suggested they were moving in slow motion. Despite my best efforts, I parked the bus and prepared for my next challenge: the Shuttle Van Arrival Time (S-VAT). Here’s where things started to unravel. My phone told me it was 13:35, but the Town Clock, mounted high on t...

AI might seem like the future of bus scheduling, but it’s not the magic solution it’s cracked up to be. When algorithms take over, we lose the human touch that keeps buses running smoothly. From unpredictable delays to confusing timetables, here’s why AI is a disaster waiting to happen. The Pitfalls of Relying on AI for Bus Scheduling Why artificial intelligence is a terrible fit for bus scheduling. In recent years, there’s been a growing trend in the transport industry towards the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to plan and optimise bus schedules. On paper, it sounds like the future, machines analysing data, adjusting routes, and ‘improving’ the efficiency of bus services. However, as someone who spends countless hours on the road, I can tell you that this shift towards AI is nothing short of a disaster waiting to happen. The Human Element is Irreplaceable First and foremost, bus schedules are not just a collection of data points to be manipulated by algorithms. They are a reflect...