As anticipated, the public transport service which started yesterday as Arriva took over the operations encountered a few teething problems and a handful of bus drivers let down the whole operation by refusing to work. In the circumstances it is normal to expect certain shortcomings as a completely new system, similar to the one launched yesterday, is rolled out; even though certain factors could have been dealt with better by the operators.
When considering the first day of operation, two main factors have to be taken into consideration: The fact that a foreign company has taken over a public transport system on the premise that it will provide a quantum leap in the service, and a public who had been seeking other means of transportation and now expects a significant improvement in the system. The novelty of the new service encouraged more people to give the service a second chance.
To put the issue of the protesting drivers into perspective, this was a major let down for commuters who were expecting an improvement in the attitude from bus drivers. On the other hand, the fact that rosters were published literally a couple of days before d-day was asking for trouble since the concept of split shift had not been factored into the equation.
The impasse could have been avoided had the roster been published earlier to allow enough time to sort out the drivers’ fears and perhaps agree on adequate remuneration. In this context, management is seen as having played a card at the last minute. This resulted in the system starting on the wrong foot as their plan backfired and left part of the country without a service on the much anticipated day.
Another factor which raises doubts is the punctuality of the new service as certain routes were somewhat delayed yesterday due to various reasons. Coming on a Sunday, where traffic is limited, means that the problem could be worse on weekdays.
Among them were drivers who got lost on the way due to not enough practice before the service started. This problem is bound to become critical during weekday rush hour and will reflect badly on the timely service promised by Arriva during the past few months.
Whether it is a case of Arriva having under-evaluated the local roads and the traffic flow or the system requiring further fine-tuning is a matter which will be known over the next few days. Nevertheless, the company had several months to set up the operation during which it could analyse the traffic flow extensively over different periods of the year, establish the best work practices for an efficient system and devise a service which fits into the requirements of providing an efficient and adequate transport system to a country which is not any larger than a region in comparative size to another European Member State.
It is still early days to judge the system as undoubtedly various enhancements will be made to improve the service in the future. What is important at this stage is to continue rallying the public to use the public transport system. And, of course, fine-tuning the service.