Bus stop call-out equipment stirs controversy

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Feb 26, 2009- 7:36 PM

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Posted by Sudbury Northern Life Reporter Bill Bradley 

A tendering process for equipment which would automatically call out stops on Greater Sudbury Transit buses is stirring up some controversy at city council.

Sudbury Video News - Bus stop call-out equipment stirs controversy Roger Sauve, director of transit, presented a report concerning the supply and installation of an automatic announcement system for local buses at the council meeting Feb. 25.

The equipment will call out stops that will be of help for persons with hearing and seeing impairments.

In October 2007, the Ontario Human Rights Commission began a process to ensure all transit operations in Ontario provide stop announcements to guarantee the rights of persons with disabilities. Transit operations are being asked to document how they are implementing these systems.

Sauve said though the cost of the system is estimated at $748,000, the city did receive $1.7 million from the province for transit capital expenditures.

When a request for proposals (RFP) went out, two companies responded. Strategic Mapping's bid came in at $463,500, much lower than the bid by Nova Bus.

But city staff favours the Nova Bus bid.

Sauve explained to reporters that the Strategic Mapping bid failed to provide all the requirements outlined in the city's RFP. When they did provide costs on what was missing, their bid was equivalent to the other bid.

"The initial costs for implementation of both systems was almost the same. The Strategic Mapping system had additional maintenance costs per year ($70,000 per year), while the Nova Bus system could be maintained by our staff," said Sauve.

"Another major factor in this decision was that the Strategic Mapping system was a stand alone system while the Nova Bus system would not only give transit next stop announcements, visually and audibly, but would have the ability to communicate with our automatic vehicle location (AVL) and fare box systems."

"As well, ridership statistics such as boardings by bus stop would assist us in future route modifications and bus shelter placement," he said. He recommended council approve the bid by Nova Bus.

Mayor John Rodriguez balked at the cost of the system, regardless of who got the tender.

"Staff needs to come back with some options on this. The cost, almost $750,000, is just too much for calling out of stops," said Rodriguez.

Sauve said it was just a request for proposals process.

"We can come back with options, with a phase-in process. We will be replacing half our buses in the next four to five years."

Ward 6 Coun. Andre Rivest asked why could the drivers not just announce the stops themselves.

"That solution would not cost us anything," he quipped.

Sauve said he would prefer to have the drivers focus on driving their vehicles first and foremost.

"There have been labour issues concerning the manual announcement of stops in other cities. In our case, we have a number of part-time staff who will shift to various different routes. They will complain about having to memorize all the stops. There are 1,600 of them."

Ward 5 Coun. Ron Dupuis asked Sauve how many persons with disabilities had asked for the automated stop announcement service. Sauve replied that no one had asked for it.

Ward 11 Coun. Janet Gasparini said that the city had already received a letter from the Ontario Human Rights Commission requesting action on the issue.

City solicitor Ron Swiddle did say guidelines have been issued to the city by the Ontario Human Rights Commission, but as of yet, no direct order has been received.

"If we do not start to implement the directive, they may get after us," said Swiddle.

Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann said that accessibility was noted as a requirement for some federal infrastructure money being announced.

Finally, in a motion, city council deferred the issue back to staff to come up with more options on how to proceed with the purchase.

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14 Comments

  • Outskirts Oscar 3/2/2009 1:07:18 PM - Report Abuse

    AngryAaron: a cheap 150$ GPS with preprogrammed waypoints. The waypoints can be programmed by a staff member sitting in a bus while programming the points. Then save the file so others can use. I''ve seen quite a few drivers fuddling with their cellphones so looking at some screen, almost about where their gauges are should not be an issue. It''s only a matter of having them "speak" up once in a while, in a pre-wired PA system that''s probably already there in the buses. They can also get one of those snazzy gooseneck mikes to use too so they don''t have an excuse. That''s only an idea... but I still don''t see what''s the fuss of the drivers not being able to announce stops.

  • Anonymous User 3/2/2009 6:56:40 AM - Report Abuse

    I agree Gloria. A video surveillance system would protect the drivers from nit-picking riders. Ones that constantly bother them and are aggressive and rude. It is quite clear you have an agenda here. An axe to grind with transit. Yet thousands of others ride daily without a problem. I''ll bet a video of you would really clear up who''s got the problem here. Like you say, its only a few bad apples that spoil it for everyone else. The bus is mass transit. Not your personal taxi that you can try and bully the employees.

  • gloria_1 2/27/2009 11:01:43 PM - Report Abuse

    They should also have a video servaliance for these buses, for every-ones protection. AS there is not only car rage there is bus rage. If some of these nasty bus drivers new they were being watched they would have to treat people properly and not give attitude to their riders. SOME of the driver will say you will just have to read the signs. Don''t they realize they would not have a job if it weren''t for the peoples that ride the bus. The city needs to get their people to ride with these known nasty bus drivers and catch them in the act abusing their passengers. Other CITY"S have had workers ride the buses under cover and monitor reported abusive bus drivers and could not believe the behaviour of some of their drivers. IT only takes a few bad apples to spoil the reputation of all. Now don''t get me wrong as I said before I have used the bus system for ten years and I have ment some of the most helpful, friendlyand kind men and women drivers and the good one''s know who the abusive one''s are as they hear the stories from their riders. THAT is just to much money for that kind of service. EVEN with video that would be to much money. THAT SYSTEM MUST BE MADE OF GOLD.

  • custer33 2/27/2009 5:40:55 PM - Report Abuse

    There was also no mention of the "Free System" that was presented to the Transit Management Team. Turned down because it was called "A duplication of services..." How can this be a duplication of services if we can''t even establish this service through council. Also utilizing the existing technology all the buses are presently equiped with all that is necessary to utilize such a service. I believe as a community we should be able to have access to all of this information so that we can have a chance to possibly aid the effectiveness, reliability, and cost to implement such a service that is for our community. In order to properly allocate funds that are for transit they should consider other cost effecfive options so that the surplus could be used to give the community what they are asking for, which is more buses not fancier ones. We are currently in a recession and I believe that the Mayor spoke dilligently and hope he stands his ground with these issues.

  • Anonymous User 2/27/2009 1:05:46 PM - Report Abuse

    Great point Jo! Why are we pondering spending almost a million for the benefit of so few, rare passengers? Let''s put the onus where it belongs. On those that need some help, take some initiative and ask the driver when you get on. Tell them you need to know when you''re getting near your stop. People are only as disabled as they let themselves be. The Human Rights Commission is getting out of hand for a bunch of unelected people.

  • Anonymous User 2/27/2009 9:12:17 AM - Report Abuse

    The drivers would NEVER call out the stops themselves. They have trouble remembering to open the back door for people to get off, or even stopping at the next stop once someone rings the bell. (and a select few have serious anger/mood issues... add an extra task to their plate and YIKES!)

  • Outskirts Oscar 2/26/2009 9:07:49 PM - Report Abuse

    Simpler solution: add descriptive signs to all bus stops and make the drivers read them? Some municipalities have implemented them already.

  • Anonymous User 2/26/2009 8:59:49 PM - Report Abuse

    “Staff needs to come back with some options on this. The cost, almost $750,000, is just too much for calling out of stops,” said Rodriguez. Really? And just what experience does Rodriguez have to back this up? Oh, right, he''s d-r-i-v-i-n-g the bus - full sarcasm intended. I guess I ought to stand corrected...but I don''t. I have to commend Counc. Rivest for asking the obvious question, though. After all of these years, who is complaining that they need this? It seems a fairly simple matter to be able to tell a driver what your intended stop is, and aks him/her to let you know. Hell, I''m not visually or hearing impared, and I''ve done that successfully many times in unfamiliar cities.

  • shellyjmitchell@msn.com 2/26/2009 5:44:30 PM - Report Abuse

    dont we already have the handitransit to aid people with disabilities??

  • Anonymous User 2/26/2009 5:16:17 PM - Report Abuse

    As a tech savvy bus rider I would enjoy an opportunity to review the proposals and read the RFP. In my mind, this involves little more than creating gps "waypoints" along each bus route and creating an ''action'' that occurs when the bus passes by a waypoint. Using a $400 netbook and a USB GPS receiver, I am confident I can have the stops announced using the speakers already in the bus. I''m not sure what it would cost to visually announce the stops, but suspect I could do it on the cheap while keeping the system reliable and maintainable.

  • sage_1 2/26/2009 4:23:59 PM - Report Abuse

    I recently used Toronto transit for the first time in a while, while I am not disabled and know the city well, I found it somewhat comforting to know I had not missed my stop (when buses are crowded it is sometimes hard to see landmarks). There are many good reasons besides "they made us do it" to implement the system. It might even make the transit system user friendly and increase riders. Again our council is kicking and screaming into the new millennium! Keep in mind folks the longer we wait the more it will cost.

  • Anonymous User 2/26/2009 4:03:00 PM - Report Abuse

    For the first time in a very long time, the mayor is right. $3/4 of a million for a PA system? With yearly maintenance costs of $70k? A Cadillac GPS system with wireless logs? Times are tough and this is not the appropriate point to start purchasing toys we simply don''t need. The city is mandated to provide basic service at an effective cost. Get that done first before investing in fancy gadgets. (And that''s only if the cash is there.) The argument that drivers will have to memorize stops is pure bunk. They know the name of the road they are on. They see the crossroad signs they pass. How hard is it to say, - "Barrydowne, Auger." - "Barrydowne, Lansing Avenue." etc....etc.. What is the cost of a headset and plug in for the existing speakers on the bus? This is yet another example of the waste created by our elected officials.

  • Jo-Anne_1 2/26/2009 3:57:30 PM - Report Abuse

    Geez. can''t we get thr Trasit to wash windows so we can see out. If that was imposed thing should sort it self out. If Sight or Hearing impaired need assistance can''t they just ask the bus driver. After all if they can talk to people while they are driving the whole route,can''t they do that too?

  • wondrinwhy 2/26/2009 3:23:13 PM - Report Abuse

    The cost, almost $750,000, is just too much for calling out of stops,” said Rodriguez. What a joke, this from a man who has only ''legacy'' in his eyes. How hard would it be to have a list posted by the driver to call out stops? I like the idea of the automated system, I can imagine finding it helpful when i am taking the bus outside my "comfort zone" where i all do is stare to watch for my stops.
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