And the winner of worst bus route for late/missed/early trips in 2008/2009 is..
*drum roll*
J1 - Elizabeth to Glenelg
second goes to:
M44 - Marion to Golden Grove
Third goes to:
721 - Noarlunga to City
Nice thumbs up to long distance bus routes, and the OBahn itself.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 01,00.html
IT'S one of Adelaide's longest bus routes and one of its busiest, but the J1 has also earned the title of the city's most unreliable.
A Sunday Mail review of Adelaide's tardiest bus services has found the J1 - which winds its way 53km from Elizabeth to Glenelg - was delayed more times last financial year than any of Adelaide's 262 privately operated bus services.
Download a list of South Australia's worst bus routes
Commuters on the Torrens Transit-operated J1 route were left waiting 374 times - an average of at least once every day - because of timetable problems and roadworks, the investigation has found.
In March alone, J1 services were late 138 times, partly because of traffic detours for the Clipsal 500.
The State Government has revealed Adelaide's bus and train operators were fined more than $1 million for late, cancelled or early services in the past two financial years.
The Sunday Mail has combed through hundreds of late-running reports filed by bus contractors Torrens Transit, SouthLink and Transit Plus to determine Adelaide's worst-performing routes.
The J1 came well ahead of the next tardiest route, the M44 from Golden Grove to Marion, which had 281 services delayed, while the SouthLink-operated 721 service between Noarlunga and the city recorded 267 late, missed or early trips.
Torrens Transit managing director Neil Smith conceded the J1 service, which travels via the city en route to the airport and Harbour Town, was not up to scratch.
He said "quite significant" delays were caused by a change in traffic light sequencing at the entrance to Harbour Town on Tapleys Hill Rd, which was holding up buses.
"We will be talking to the PTD (Passenger Transport Division) about getting that timetable adjusted," he said.
"The other thing that can create difficulty for us is . . . the number of people who board at the airport is highly variable and many are new to Adelaide.
"So time delays at the airport can be excessive and we have to adjust our timetables . . . that's something we'll try to get through in the new year."
Mr Smith said traffic congestion in the city was also a problem, particularly with buses in Currie and Grenfell streets during the afternoon peaks.
"There is bus congestion in Currie/Grenfell streets that's probably outside the realm of what anyone would be happy with," he said.
Among other bus services experiencing a high number of delays were the 106, which runs from Magill to the city, the 228 from Smithfield to the city and the 863 from Aldgate to the city.
Bus operators and train operator TransAdelaide must pay compensation to the Government for any late, cancelled or early trips that they could have prevented.
Transport Minister Patrick Conlon said $489,473 was collected last financial year compared to $578,844 collected in 2007/2008. "This is an excellent result but there's still more work to be done," he said.
"We're spending more than ever revitalising our public transport system and through very strong working relationships with our contractors, we are starting to see results. I am certain as our record $2.5 billion investment in upgrading rail, purchasing new trains, trams and buses continues, the efficiency and reliability of our system will improve even further."
Map and details of the worst bus routes.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/files/busr.pdf
See I told you all, the J1 is the pits.
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