Montrealers worry endlessly about the state of our public transit system. All agree that the MTC - (aka the Empty Seat) needs a ton more money and longer buses and new expanded funding by new taxes. Enough hand wringing and grinding of teeth to start a bush fire.
But there's a cheap solution to public transport found in hundreds of towns around the world. Most place have no money-sucking MTC-style bus bureaucracy. They simply allow 12 seat vans with two guys to drive up and down the same street all day picking up anybody waiting on the curb. This transport doesn't cost taxpayers and provides efficient service and cheap lifts for those willing to get up occasionally if your neighbour wants to get off.
In the Dominican Republic they're known as gwa-gwas, in Grenada if you hop on one you're 'pulling bull' and pretty much every other town and city from Morocco to the Maldives considers such unimposing roadside van pickups entirely routine.
In Montreal big unions and their police allies would crush you like a bug if you ever tried to set up such a service. As Spacing Montreal reported, a shuttle bus initiative was shut down last year for no discernable reason.
Only exception is Habitat 67, which offers shuttle bus to the McGill metro. (BTW, anybody who thinks that local real estate is on the skids, take a look at the price tag for this Habitat unit which would have sold for about $100-150 k a decade ago).
Allowing a few gwa-gwas onto the streets of Montreal could only help the city. There's no legitimate argument against them. They drive so slow that they wouldn't endanger anybody but the MTC's inflated budget.
What about the Regie des Gwa-Gwas?
ReplyDeleteI've thought of this since getting back from Mexico (where they are called Combis),especially for late-night transportation. The STM's night bus system is so bad that i don't know how they can claim a monopoly.
ReplyDeletewhen it takes 3 buses, each of which run once an hour, and none of which connect, to travel about 8 kms, its serioulsy time for some competition...
How about one running between Mile End, Lower Saint-Laurent and Atwater, where you can at least catch the 356, or even a bit further west.
In all seriousness, do you think we could sneak it in as some kind of anti-drinking-and-driving initiative?
they also have them in south africa as well. they call them minibus-taxis. they would be an excellent idea for the west island (i'd rather be in a crowded minivan with 10 people than take the 211).
ReplyDeleteHabitat is not the only housing complex that offers shuttle buses. Plenty of swanky outfits offer the same service; the thing is, gwa-gwas (in reality, jitneys) are outlawed because they **CHARGE** a fee to ride them. But anyone is free to operate a **FREE** shuttle bus service.
ReplyDeleteLegalizing jitneys will **NOT** solve problems, because only the profitable lines will be served. The STM can take the profits of profitable lines (535, 67, 69 anyone?) to pay for the little-rided (roded? ridden?) but indispensable ones.
Hey fellas. I'm liking the new Coolopolis gwa gwa. Is that an American Motors Rambler stretch stationwagon?
ReplyDeleteCorps du Pois
Actually, it's spelled guagua, which is a Spanish colloquialism for bus.
ReplyDeleteSee several references via Google search.