Bagel Belly Blog

The joy of public transport

No traffic chaos as bus strike starts, says the EDP.

What bollocks.

This evening I waited 30 minutes at a bus stop, where a sign advertised diversions earlier in the week and the electronic information system advertised the next three busses that were due. Eventually I gave up, assuming that something must have happened to all the buses, perhaps related to the previous diversions, and that it would be quicker for me to walk.

I tried to call the local taxi firms, but none of them were replying, so I walked the three miles to my destination in the city through light rain, passing queues of traffic at a standstill. I then made my way to the nearest taxi rank, but it was empty. I headed over to the next nearest rank, and joined a queue of damp and miserable people waiting for black cabs. When a cab finally arrived, I quizzed the driver about the cause of the traffic and the missing busses. He explained about the bus drivers' walkout, and how much of the city had been chaos and gridlocked this evening.

Two things are puzzling me: firstly, how a bus company that suspected strike action would take place apparently more than a week ago (bus drivers plan seven-day strike) failed to put any signs up at any of the bus stops throughout the county (or even update the electronic signs). Clearly the news of the strike hadn't got out enough - I saw many people stood at bus stops as I walked through the city. Secondly, how the media are failing to mention the chaos caused, and are not reflecting how pissed off most people are that such critical travel infrastructure has been allowed to fail.

This is particularly unfortunate timing - the string of balmy summer days we were having this week changed today to wet, autumnal weather. The prospect of going anywhere on foot or by bike is not at all appealing.