Off to the Bay

Has everyone in Wellington moved to Island Bay and GOWellington is responding to passenger demand? Or is it incredibly unreliable or incompetent, or probably both?

On Friday I waited for the No 7 Kingston bus at the Lambton Quay bus stop in front of the Supreme Court from 4.25pm, in plenty of time to catch the bus departing Wellington station at 4:33. It did not come, nor did the one departing the station at 4:48 or 4:57. Eventually the 5:03 showed up.

When I got to the stop, the noticeboard displayed Kingston No 7 arriving in nine minutes. But 15 minutes later the notice board still had it arriving in nine minutes and then it just disappeared from the board.

But while I waited, eight Island Bay No 1 buses arrived; at one stage three of them actually arrived simultaneously. And if that was not adequate for the needs of Island Bay folk, two No 32 Island Bay buses also turned up at the bus stop.

This is by no means a unique occurrence. About twice a week or so a scheduled Kingston bus does not arrive, while several No 1 Island Bay ones trundle by.

It is not just a problem in the afternoon; morning buses from Kingston to Wellington station also go missing, and when one finally arrives, by Brooklyn Library stop, it is crammed full and has to leave people behind. With apologies to Dante, GO-Wellington bus stops should have a sign saying ‘‘Abandon up all hope ye who wait for Kingston bus, move to Island Bay’’.

KAMILA KERNOT

Wellington