One of the major improvements promised by Veolia, the private company that now operates Nassau Inter-County Express bus system, is that riders will be able to track the buses with the GPS on their smart phones.
Riders will be able to learn where their bus is and know approximately how long it will take before it arrives at their stop.
That service will be implemented sometime in 2015. But it will mean little if an overcrowded bus passes them by or if the rider is forced to stand in a crowded bus on a regular basis.
A survey taken by the French research firm Ipsos (there’s no Long Island firm that could have taken this survey?) shows that riders don’t think the service by NICE, the private operator that took over for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is, in fact, very nice.
In one year the percentage of customers who said they were satisfied with the bus service dropped in 12 months, from 52 percent to 29 percent.
To be fair, the survey does show that some things got better in 2013. Those responding to the survey said there were less breakdowns and door-to-door service for the disabled, Able-Ride, improved.
A 25-cent fare increase didn’t brighten the mood of the riders.
But anyone who has stood in the rain and watched a crowded bus go by or paid full fare to stand for the entire length of a bus ride is not likely to give the service good grades.
Veolia is a private company in business to make a profit. In one year it raised fares and is partly subsidized by the county and the state.
It may be that the nearly bankrupt county will have to increase its contribution to restore service to an acceptable standard.
One thing is certain: Veolia has to do better.
