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Bus driver also does things like trigger ramp for handicapped people, strap in wheelchairs securely, answer questions about the route, and security surveillance

Bus driver also does things like trigger ramp for handicapped people, strap in wheelchairs securely, answer questions about the route, and security surveillance.

bluGill 1y ago
None of those should be needed. Get more people riding and they take care of security. wheelchairs are hard - but the driver strapping them in is robbing everyone else of their valuable time so we need a better soultion anyway
- Symbiote 1y ago
  Every bus in Copenhagen has a button next to the door to lower the wheelchair ramp, but I have never seen anyone use it. I've never seen a wheelchair on a bus. The metro and suburban trains have level boarding (the platform is at exactly the same level as the floor of the train so it's very easy for a wheelchair user to wheel themselves in). I've still only seen wheelchairs users on these trains once or twice. I suspect wheelchair users prefer to call the disability taxi service. It's free for wheelchair users and blind people [1]. I don't know if this service is more or less expensive to provide than adapting buses and trains, but it is probably easier for everyone. [1, in Danish] https://www.moviatrafik.dk/flexkunde/flexhandicap https://www.moviatrafik.dk/flexkunde/flexhandicap
  - rootusrootus 1y ago
    That's relatively similar to how my local (US) municipality handles disabled passengers. All of the big infrastructure supports wheelchairs, but it is only occasionally used. Disabled people are served by mini-buses which operate point-to-point and charge them the same fare they'd pay for the big bus.
  - pessimizer 1y ago
    Wheelchairs, sometimes multiple, are on Chicago buses all the time. Also rolling grocery trolleys, walkers (especially for dialysis patients where they have a medical functions) and also old people whose legs don't work so good and need the bus lowered.
  - cogman10 1y ago
    This honestly makes a lot of sense, particularly because the number of people that need wheelchairs is so much smaller than the general population. I visit hospitals pretty frequently and while it's not never that I see someone in a wheelchair, it's not every day and it's definitely not a majority of the visitors. When I'm out and about in public, I basically never see wheelchair users. It makes sense to simply have a taxi service instead. Far more convenient for the wheelchair user and you don't need to retrofit every bus with wheelchair access.
- xjlin0 1y ago
  Taking a look at NYC or SF bus, are you sure that more riders solve security issues?
  - cogman10 1y ago
    Yes, this is simply a well known fact. You can look up the NYPD report on crime for the month of june the total amount of reported crime was 427 for all forms of transport (metro, bus, etc). 3.6 million people use public transport in NYC daily. No matter where you are, you'll never drive that number to 0. But if you wanted to make it better then you'd stop positioning the police to catch turnstile jumpers and you start positioning police to ride public transport during low ridership times to prevent incident.
- johnnyanmac 1y ago
  >the driver strapping them in is robbing everyone else of their valuable time Oh so we're now fine putting more of our tax dollars into specialized disability services? If our time is more valuable, this is a steal.
  - hamandcheese 1y ago
    It's paying either way. I'd rather pay with money.
    - johnnyanmac 1y ago
      I'm the same. When brought up for policy, the results tend to be very disappointing, though.
cyberax 1y ago
You can have a fleet of specialized self-driving taxis for people with disabilities. They can have articulated ramps or other special accommodations.
- jodrellblank 1y ago
  You could have trams and trains with level boarding which helps people who don't have disabilities too, costs less, takes less space in the city, makes less noise, needs less maintenance, and moves more people.
  - cyberax 1y ago
    Except that they don't cost less. And are more inconvenient, especially if you can't move a lot. And they're slower, and will require you to make a transfer. And don't run at night. But otherwise,yeah. Sure.
    - zbentley 1y ago
      Slower? In top speed maybe, but not in time-to-destination (or, given congested streets, average speed). Trains “require” you to make a transfer? Depends on your city, I guess; many train systems are hub-and-spoke-like enough (and dense enough) that common commutes don’t require any transfers. Also, I’m curious whether bus-centric mass transit requires more or fewer transfers than train-centric or hybrid.
      - cyberax 1y ago
        > Slower? In top speed maybe, but not in time-to-destination (or, given congested streets, average speed). Yep. Transit is ALWAYS slower on average compared to cars. It is faster only in a very narrow set of circumstances. Try an experiment: drop 10 random points inside a city, and plot routes between them for cars and transit (you can use Google Maps API). Transit will be on average 2-3 times slower, even in the rush hour.
        1y ago

Bus driver also does things like trigger ramp for handicapped people, strap in wheelchairs securely, answer questions about the route, and security surveillance.

bluGill 1y ago

None of those should be needed. Get more people riding and they take care of security. wheelchairs are hard - but the driver strapping them in is robbing everyone else of their valuable time so we need a better soultion anyway

Symbiote 1y ago
Every bus in Copenhagen has a button next to the door to lower the wheelchair ramp, but I have never seen anyone use it. I've never seen a wheelchair on a bus. The metro and suburban trains have level boarding (the platform is at exactly the same level as the floor of the train so it's very easy for a wheelchair user to wheel themselves in). I've still only seen wheelchairs users on these trains once or twice. I suspect wheelchair users prefer to call the disability taxi service. It's free for wheelchair users and blind people [1]. I don't know if this service is more or less expensive to provide than adapting buses and trains, but it is probably easier for everyone. [1, in Danish] https://www.moviatrafik.dk/flexkunde/flexhandicap https://www.moviatrafik.dk/flexkunde/flexhandicap
- rootusrootus 1y ago
  That's relatively similar to how my local (US) municipality handles disabled passengers. All of the big infrastructure supports wheelchairs, but it is only occasionally used. Disabled people are served by mini-buses which operate point-to-point and charge them the same fare they'd pay for the big bus.
- pessimizer 1y ago
  Wheelchairs, sometimes multiple, are on Chicago buses all the time. Also rolling grocery trolleys, walkers (especially for dialysis patients where they have a medical functions) and also old people whose legs don't work so good and need the bus lowered.
- cogman10 1y ago
  This honestly makes a lot of sense, particularly because the number of people that need wheelchairs is so much smaller than the general population. I visit hospitals pretty frequently and while it's not never that I see someone in a wheelchair, it's not every day and it's definitely not a majority of the visitors. When I'm out and about in public, I basically never see wheelchair users. It makes sense to simply have a taxi service instead. Far more convenient for the wheelchair user and you don't need to retrofit every bus with wheelchair access.
xjlin0 1y ago
Taking a look at NYC or SF bus, are you sure that more riders solve security issues?
- cogman10 1y ago
  Yes, this is simply a well known fact. You can look up the NYPD report on crime for the month of june the total amount of reported crime was 427 for all forms of transport (metro, bus, etc). 3.6 million people use public transport in NYC daily. No matter where you are, you'll never drive that number to 0. But if you wanted to make it better then you'd stop positioning the police to catch turnstile jumpers and you start positioning police to ride public transport during low ridership times to prevent incident.
johnnyanmac 1y ago
>the driver strapping them in is robbing everyone else of their valuable time Oh so we're now fine putting more of our tax dollars into specialized disability services? If our time is more valuable, this is a steal.
- hamandcheese 1y ago
  It's paying either way. I'd rather pay with money.
  - johnnyanmac 1y ago
    I'm the same. When brought up for policy, the results tend to be very disappointing, though.

cyberax 1y ago

You can have a fleet of specialized self-driving taxis for people with disabilities. They can have articulated ramps or other special accommodations.

jodrellblank 1y ago
You could have trams and trains with level boarding which helps people who don't have disabilities too, costs less, takes less space in the city, makes less noise, needs less maintenance, and moves more people.
- cyberax 1y ago
  Except that they don't cost less. And are more inconvenient, especially if you can't move a lot. And they're slower, and will require you to make a transfer. And don't run at night. But otherwise,yeah. Sure.
  - zbentley 1y ago
    Slower? In top speed maybe, but not in time-to-destination (or, given congested streets, average speed). Trains “require” you to make a transfer? Depends on your city, I guess; many train systems are hub-and-spoke-like enough (and dense enough) that common commutes don’t require any transfers. Also, I’m curious whether bus-centric mass transit requires more or fewer transfers than train-centric or hybrid.
    - cyberax 1y ago
      > Slower? In top speed maybe, but not in time-to-destination (or, given congested streets, average speed). Yep. Transit is ALWAYS slower on average compared to cars. It is faster only in a very narrow set of circumstances. Try an experiment: drop 10 random points inside a city, and plot routes between them for cars and transit (you can use Google Maps API). Transit will be on average 2-3 times slower, even in the rush hour.
      - 1y ago