AVL Problems for passengers

The_Wrecker

Heres an example of the problem side of AVL.
This evening, the bus ahead of me is being slaughtered with passengers and delayed (8min gap). Not long before i catch up (50 peeps onboard).
Big brother on the radio asking me to pull over and transfer my 50 valued customers onto the other heavy loaded bus, ok im empty now.

Wait there 8 mins then enter service again, which i did.

The poor chap ahead now is being hammered and i catch him several minutes later and overtake with control approval as they didnt want me arriving late at my outer terminus!

The point being if we were left alone all would have been well and the passengers would not have to be disturbed. Buses waiting 8 mins at the Sugar club end of Leeson st another problem.

markpb

That's not a problem with AVL, just bad dwell-time management and bad scheduling. What was the scheduled gap before the bus in front?

The_Wrecker

Mounttown, 8 mins.
Four of us arrived at the park at the same time. No traffic due to the weekend that it is. I didnt see it warranting messing the passengers about.

I also gave them the option of staying onboard and waiting 8 mins BUT the transfer had been sorted with the other bus via central ~ seems a tad silly unless i was running very light or empty. Passengers were totally bewildered with the reason.

SeanW

AVL?

The_Wrecker

SeanW wrote: »

AVL?

Similar to the real time for passengers, our version is the AVL a little box over our heads.

LXFlyer

AVLC = Automatic Vehicle Location & Control

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the above, there is going to be a learning curve for both drivers and controllers here as there has been no effective regulation of the bus service for years (due to the only way of monitoring (until this year) being to call drivers over the radio since the demise of the previous system over 10 years ago).

AlekSmart

The_Wrecker wrote: »

Heres an example of the problem side of AVL.
This evening, the bus ahead of me is being slaughtered with passengers and delayed (8min gap). Not long before i catch up (50 peeps onboard).
Big brother on the radio asking me to pull over and transfer my 50 valued customers onto the other heavy loaded bus, ok im empty now.

A very interesting occurence as it happens,given that some other routes also recieved AVL related "regulation" today,with largely similar results.

AFAIAA,the AVLC system is still in it's implementation stage with the full bells and whistles version not yet operational.

The agreement currently in place calls for each Depot to identify and designate the specific locations en route at which Buses are to be held.

Not all routes will have the same holding points and not all bus stops are suitable for use as a holding point.

It would,for example,be somewhat counterproductive to require a 13 mtr long Tri-Axle Double Deck to wait in Suffolk St for any longer than absolutely necessary.

Once again,not for the first or last time,we now see a requirement for active co-operation between the Local Authorities and the Operators with regard to safe and available lay-over space.

If,as The Wrecker outlines,a driver is instructed to wait at as innapropriate a location as The Sugar Club then that points to a shortfall in the training of the Central Control supervisors which could well expose the company to a significant degree of added risk.

I'd agree with lxflyer,that the system is still in shakedown mode,but I'd also want to see evidence that we are not once more going to half-do stuff and then start "Tweaking" as it progresses shakily along.

There must be a Clarity of Purpose shown here,which entails every driver on AVL Controlled routes being FULLY aware of the dynamics of the route at all times.

The necessary Control methodology to ensure this,are not yet in place,and until they are,we risk the thing decending into farce as elequently described by The Wrecker.....:o

dowlingm

The experience has been in Toronto that on heavy routes central control just doesn't work. You need inspectors on the routes who actually a) see what's happening since AVL doesn't show loads and b) give a crap.

Accordingly, they have been moving back to at least some routes having inspectors order short-turns rather than Control. b) above is harder to ensure though...

rx8

How can central ask you to pull-over for 8 minutes ??

As far as I am aware, they are only supposed to hold buses for a maximum of 2 minutes at any agreed holding point.

None of these finer details have been agreed on the operation of the system yet and therefore you should inform your controller of same when he calls you, and continue on your journey.

Maybe also a quick phone call to your union rep. may clarify things.

AlekSmart

rx8 wrote: »

How can central ask you to pull-over for 8 minutes ??

As far as I am aware, they are only supposed to hold buses for a maximum of 2 minutes at any agreed holding point.

None of these finer details have been agreed on the operation of the system yet and therefore you should inform your controller of same when he calls you, and continue on your journey.

Maybe also a quick phone call to your union rep. may clarify things.

That was/is my point rx8,since there are,as yet,no agreements in place re the operation of AVLC,this sort of arm-chancing must be stopped before it drags the integrity of the system down with it.

Far too much time,effort and money has been invested in AVLC for it to be treated as some form of personal plaything by a gung-ho controller,keen to show-off.

Lets ensure that it's "Proffessional" in it's introduction.