by Phil Egan for First Monday
(2014) It’s pretty evident that Barry Mackey’s passengers love him, and, if you watch him drive for a few days, you can clearly see why. There’s always a pleasant welcome for riders as they board, usually greeting them by name. It’s the little things, like driving farther down the road to avoid a snowbank, or dropping a woman laden with grocery bags right in front of her home. Barry has been driving for Sarnia Transit for 26 years, usually on the Route 14 bus through Sherwood and the city’s newer east end. His philosophy is simple: “It pays to be nice to my passengers. After all, if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have a job.”
Two years ago, I surrendered my driver’s licence as a result of vision issues. I had just returned home to Sarnia from Oakville after almost a 40 year absence. Anyone who has had occasion to ride the bus or streetcar in Mississauga or Toronto would likely be astounded by the difference in driver attitude and demeanour. Armed with a “blind pass” from Sarnia’s White Cane Centre, I shuddered at the prospect of getting around town by bus. I needn’t have worried. Sarnia Transit buses feature an automated bus stop announcement system with both visual and audio cues. Additionally, it took all of three days for Barry to figure me out. After watching me backtrack through his sideview mirror the 30 yards back along Finch to Springbank, he began dropping me at Springbank every time I rode.
But Barry is not alone. I’ve since witnessed similar courtesies extended to riders by drivers, all across the city. According to Sarnia Transit Director Jim Stevens, the personal touches are one of the benefits of living in a smaller town and being able to get to know your riders, the vast majority of whom are constant clients. Brad, another driver, estimates that he knows at least 80% of his passengers on any given run.
Many of these riders are disabled, poor, or face other challenges. The growing population of international and out-of-town college students are also frequent riders. There are a few professionals; Andy Bruziewicz, the hard-working and popular city councillor, is a daily rider and says that taking the bus allows him time to meet people and to get more work done. He notices and appreciates the little touches of customer service that Jim Stevens’ drivers extend to his constituents.
Forty-seven of these drivers, 45% of them women, operate a fleet of 23 clean and well-maintained buses and 6 Care-A-Van vehicles, and over 1.3 million riders used the service in 2012. Rider growth is averaging 4% annually; reflecting, no doubt, the aging of the population as people give up their car keys and the continued popularity of Sarnia’s Lambton College. Director Stevens is eyeing larger 40 foot vehicles to meet increasing ridership demand, particularly along the Exmouth Street and London Road corridors, and to improve capacity for the growing use of strollers and mobility devices. His challenge is compromised by the withdrawal of previous subsidies. Sarnia Transit’s annual operating budget is $5,814,135 for conventional transit and $1,002,940 for Care-A-Van: 6% of the city’s total annual budget. The loss of subsidies has made it more difficult for Stevens to meet his targets for vehicle replacement and renewal, and for making the bus service more accessible. Improving bus shelters and a new east end terminal are also in the works.
Carol Girard, who has been driving the Care-A-Vans for 22 years, says that there are days when her disabled riders need something a little extra. “You can see it in their faces,” she told me, “when they need a little TLC.” She delights in trying to give them a smile and a word of encouragement on days like that.
Sarnia Transit has drivers who give a damn. The city can be proud.