Anyone having issues with the new bus arrangements?

Last night I had to get a visiting friend on the 10pm ferry from Parkvale. I checked the new route and timetable info, and it said we can get the 9.45pm T3 bus from Parkvale down the plaza footbridge. We got to the Parkvale bus stop outside Woodgreen Court at 9.40pm. I checked the bus stop info and it confirmed there was a bus due at 9.45pm. We waited. Finally, about 9.47pm the T3 bus arrives and its passengers alight. I figured "it's late", nothing unusual. The bus then does the usual three-point turn to stop at the bus stop. However, as we tried to board the driver said he wasn't leaving until 10.10pm. Confused, I pointed to the timetable at the bus stop, and showed him the timetable on the DB Transport app on my phone, and he was uninterested in looking at either. He initially tried to blame the mixup on me looking at the wrong table - "it's Sunday" he said. I said: "I know, and I'm looking at the Sunday timetable, and you're supposed to depart at 21.45". Again he showed no interest and ignored us. After several minutes of trying to plea our case, luckily, a hire car came by and we jumped in. My friend just barely made the 10pm ferry.

I looked around the plaza, the old bus terminus and the new terminus to find someone from DB Transport to clarify the situation with, and perhaps complain to, and there was no-one around.

Looking at the timetable more closely when I got home, I could see the bus was actually supposed the leave Capeland at 10.10pm, not Parkvale. I suspect the driver got this mixed up or was given the wrong briefing, or perhaps there's some sort of misprint in the timetables?

Anyone else had issues?

Did anyone really believe this was going to be anything but a complete kerfuffle.  Will be interesting to see what happens when it's chucking down rain.

T4/T9 is the main bus route through DB and a more frequent service is required.

As for that bus stop, it might help a little bit if people approaching from the front walked to the rear of the queue [as they should] instead of huddling in a mass by the bus door waiting for what they perceive to be their turn, while in the meantime more have joined the end of the queue and everyone becomes crosser and crosser.

I wonder how long we will have all the staff hanging around the stops showing people where to go and also the people helping you cross the roads ?

hongkongpauli wrote on Feb 28^th, 2017 at 10:40am:


They thought one day should be enough for most gweilos to figure out where they should catch their bus home from, even after several pints in the plaza 

Twinkleberry - yes, grey haired little guy.  May have seen him once before a while back but then he disappeared.  C4 passengers are unaccustomed to being heartily greeted by drivers and everyone was surprised and apologetic.  So funny.

Yes BH

More people can write to the bus company with notes of appreciation, I'm sure it is appreciated. Where is the bus office now?

However it is also of value to mention these drivers on the forum as they also like it when they are greeted nicely by passengers.

If more passengers greeted the grumpy drivers, maybe that would improve the grumpies attitude as well (realistically I doubt it but it's worth a try)

The T9 schedule is a cluster.  First off - no more Louis who was a fantastic driver.  Second, and ultimately more important, the bus UP to Caperidge was nowhere to be found the first two days of this project.  I literally beat the bus back to Upper Caperidge the past two nights.  Meanwhile, the T4 was there waiting both Monday and Tuesday.  This will be a disaster once the rains come.

To me, the drivers don't look too happy with the new arrangements either. They don't really have a convenient break place anymore.

And call-out to the nice driver on #1.

SDV@DB wrote on Mar 1^st, 2017 at 2:34pm:


I'm just wondering, who is "happy" going to work these days if they are working for a big corporate?
The last few years have seen massive cuts, more responsibilities pushed on individuals, all in the name of efficiency.
Not many are "happy" going to work anymore but they have no choice, need money to put some rice and vegetables on the family table at the end of the day, assuming they have space for a table.
Ask the "unhappy" bus driver where/how he/she sleeps at night. Yes, perhaps they have to get up a bit earlier nowadays. Our big corporates will tell us that it's in the name of progress. Maybe it's in the name of greed.

Agree with Wessa.  I have also heard that the transport company fires drivers after 10 years because they don't want to pay the long-service award.  Not sure of the veracity of this piece of gossip.

Agree with Coppergoose basically.  I too like the 'spread out' buses, though I'm less keen on the walk up the hill from the ferry.  Wouldn't say no to a chair-lift or rickshaw 

The bus schedules appear to be no longer tied to ferry schedules? This should be great relief for the drivers, less pressure on all, following their own system.

I think it is great that the external buses link the South end of DB directly to the tunnel now, rationalising DB as one continuous living space, Plaza being one of many nodal points of interest along the main throughfare.

We can certainly help the drivers' moods by being pleasant. It may be easier for them without having to deal as much with random people crossing the bus lanes while trying to pull out., such as strollers, kids on step bikes, etc., the bus bays being more straightforward and passenger queues organised and demarcated.
Plaza businesses might be a bit less now without the foot traffic from bus riders. I used to browse nearby shops while waiting for bus or pick up a coffee.

The Airport bus connection is probably the main tricky one if people are travelling with kids, baggage and caught in bad weather. Wonder why this is not treated like the other external buses, starting from the Marina Club would be more logical, the schedule would need to be adjusted.