Thousands of people were left behind in January at bus stops as filled-to-capacity B.C. Transit buses were forced to pass them by.
B.C. Transit figures show that the number of times bus drivers had to pass up passengers rose from 184 during January 2008 to 257 during the same month in 2009, when more than 6,000 riders were left cooling their heels at bus stops across the capital region.
The statistics show that riders going to and from the University of Victoria or Camosun College campuses were the ones most often left standing at bus stops, but riders travelling downtown, from the ferry terminal at Swartz Bay or on routes that serve high schools, were also affected.
Rhiannon Cameron, 19, said two or three buses pass her by on at least one in three of her trips to the UVic campus, where she is a student.
"If I'm on a tight schedule, it definitely ruins my day," Cameron said.
Joanna Morton, spokeswoman for B.C. Transit, said high fuel prices and inclement weather drove more passengers onto buses this winter.
As a result, capital region ridership rose 17 per cent in the month of December 2008 from the same month a year earlier.
Spare drivers and buses are kept in reserve to handle surges in ridership due to bus breakdowns or unexpected circumstances.
But it's not enough, said Bob Jones, president of the Canadian Auto Workers Union Local 333, which represents more than 700 Victoria transit employees, including bus drivers, maintenance workers and employees with HandyDart and Medivan.
Jones said B.C. Transit hasn't done a good job of keeping up with demand.
"We're short of drivers, short of buses, short of mechanics to keep those buses on the road." That's got the university community fuming. Caitlin Meggs, University of Victoria Students' Society chairwoman, said students have been dealing with overcrowded buses and inadequate schedules and routes for years.
She estimated UVic students represent about 18,000 riders, because buying into the school's U-Pass program is mandatory for most students. It looks like a great deal at a cost of about $15 a month for unlimited bus rides, but it's no bargain when students can't get on a bus, she said.
Ron Drolet, vice-president of planning for B.C. Transit, said the number of students using U-Pass has grown from 11 per cent of passes issued in 1999 to 30 per cent today.
"We're in a game of catch-up and keep-up," Drolet said.
"The growth has been remarkable." Last year, the regional transit system was beefed up by a dozen vehicles and 50,000 hours of service, but Drolet said those resources were quickly absorbed by an increase in riders. Transit ridership rose 5.9 per cent between April and December 2007.
Morton said B.C. Transit recently received a 14 per cent increase in its operating budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year and is assessing how to allocate resources to meet demand.
