In the Cowichan Valley Citizen of Oct. 14, [North Cowichan] councillor Joyce Behnsen is quoted as having pointed out to Jim Wakeham that there are many empty buses on many routes within the CVRD.
I commend you for that. I have made that point repeatedly with the area directors, the chair Jon Lefebure and Jim Wakeham himself only to get the same old stale answers, if any, that the CVRD is constantly reviewing its routes and ridership, listening to feedback from the public, etc.
If the transit system was being managed effectively, there would not be so many large buses with next to no passengers roaming our streets.
This concept of increasing ridership is pie in the sky.
It hasn’t improved in the last 15 years that I have been watching the goings on, and it never will.
Clearly what is needed is to replace the aging large diesel bus fleet with up to eight passenger fuel efficient vans on the underutilized routes, which incidentally turns out to be most routes.
This also ties in perfectly with improving the air quality in the Valley by not having 25 to 30 diesel buses spewing exhaust 16 hours a day, seven days a week.
Wolfgang Hufnagl
Cobble Hill