PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Some Port Authority riders say they’re being left behind, and it’s an issue that’s been occurring for greater than a yr.
The Port Authority says driver shortages are fueling the issue. In some instances, buses are displaying up late or under no circumstances, and that’s resulting in lots of pissed off riders.
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“For me, it’s very inconvenient trigger then I’m operating late for my second job,” stated rider Nick Pawloski.
Pawloski depends upon Port Authority buses to get round, simply as 1000’s of individuals throughout the world do. He additionally expects it to be on time and extra so to point out up, in any other case he may lose his job. However, no less than twice every week, he says the bus is a no-show.
“It could be more durable to make ends meet if I misplaced my job as a result of me being late for me not having the ability to management the scenario. I’m not driving the bus.”
The Port Authority admits that sure, typically, it does occur. Routes shut down final minute and so they’re unable to alert their riders, primarily stranding them or leaving them to attend lengthy durations of time for an additional bus. To alleviate that, they encourage riders to test earlier than leaving dwelling to see if their journeys have been pulled from service.
“Now we have social medial so by Twitter our customer support group lets individuals know as early and as prematurely as potential,” stated Port Authority spokesperson Adam Brandolph.
However for some, that’s laborious to do. Not everybody has the web or social media.
“I’ve had the bus present up late. I’ve had the bus cross me as a result of it had too many individuals on it. I’ve had buses that didn’t present up in any respect and so they didn’t put anybody else in that schedule,” stated rider Tulsa Harris.
Harris says she has to take two buses to get anyplace due to the place she lives, so for her, it’s paramount that her buses are on time.
Brandolph says he understands the riders’ points and blames the issue on a driver scarcity, however desires riders to comprehend it’s beginning to enhance.
“The truth that now we have a purpose of two p.c out of service actually reveals how a lot it means to us and the truth that we’re hitting that purpose even throughout a pandemic actually reveals how essential it’s to us and the way severely we take it,” he stated.
The Port Authority tells KDKA they’re nonetheless hiring drivers.
