TransLink is asking Tri-City customers to be patient and experiment with routes and schedules in response to concerns about bus service.
Customers have taken to Facebook and Twitter, made phone calls and written letters to complain about bus service changes made Dec. 19 to tie in with the Evergreen Extension, which opened Dec. 2.
Some parents have complained that full buses are passing their children by, leaving the kids stranded in the cold and late for school.
"My children have to wait for two to three full buses that blow by on busy Mariner [Way] before one has space for them," Robert Wiatr told The News in an email, complaining that the service change has affected students taking transit to Hillcrest middle and Dr. Charles Best secondary schools. "I have called TransLink and the bus company multiple time to get bigger buses to no avail."
He'd like TransLink to put a larger bus on the route or increase frequency to improve service.
"Why don't the bus drivers report it?" he said later. "They are the bus drivers who blow by kids, why wouldn't they say anything?"
Similar concerns have been brought to The Tri-City News by students who take the bus to Port Moody secondary school. The new 180 Moody Centre Station/Lougheed Station bus is often full, leaving students stranded and late for school.
But TransLink spokesperson Chris Bryan said while TransLink is closely monitoring the service now that the Christmas season is over, most problems are typically resolved after a few weeks and he urged people to experiment with schedules and new routes to avoid the crush.
"The key message is that we encourage people to do a little experimenting with the time they travel and even watch for other buses that go along the same route and to be patient and give it a few days."
For Hillcrest students, he recommended different buses, such as the 151 and 152.
Alterations may be made, but not until April, when the next seasonal operational change will take place, Bryan said.
To make a complaint, he urged customers to call 604-953-3333 or go online and fill out a customer feedback form (feedback.translink.ca).
"We did just do it [make changes] three weeks ago," Bryan said, asking again for patience, but TransLink is interested in knowing how the changes are working. "This is what we want to know. It's really important they pass this on to us."
