| Home | Bookmark | Tell | Active petitions in over 75 countries | Follow GoPetition |
Petition Tag - bus
1. Stop West Shore School District from contracting out Support Staff Jobs 
West Shore School District (WSSD) is looking to contract out support staff jobs to privately owned companies. Currently WSSD as a non-profit organization (they don't pay taxes to any one) directly pays support staff employees a fair wage and benefits. WSSD feels that hiring a for profit company to pay employees a less wage and NO benefits will save them money. This can not be allowed to happen for numerous reasons and money is one of them.
The first thing is money. WSSD feels that paying a contractor to hire under paid workers with NO benefits will save them money. This idea may work in the short term but even after a year this is not true. The district will be given a low fee from the contractor so the contractor is picked, but then the contractor will increase the fee to a much higher cost which can be higher then the current cost of doing the job "in house". There are numerous videos, documents, etc... of school districts deciding whether to pay the higher contractor cost each year or doing the jobs "in house". The current support staff of WSSD is trying to work with the district to save money. A privately owned contractor company is out to make money for themselves, not the district. Contractors will cut their own costs but not the profit they "need" to make off the district. The WSSD does not have shareholders, private investors, or a owner to pay. The district just “earns” enough money to pay employees, maintain equipment and properties, and purchase equipment as needed. Any extra income for the district is saved and used to fund unexpected needs or future projects. A company contracted to provide services needs to pay for all the same items the district does, but they can have investors, shareholders, CEO's salaries, and losses from other clients to recover to stay in business. Companies that can not earn more money then they spend can not stay in business. As a client of such company, the WSSD will have to pay the company enough money to stay in business sometime in the future. Can the district really support another company when they are claiming they can not support themselves?
Employee service and loyalty will drop if employees are contracted out. It is documented that the quality of service done by employees that are not paid directly by the company they work in or around is lower than the service done by employees directly hired by the company and buildings they work in. The attitude "these people are not my boss" happens when employees work in buildings and areas that are not controlled by the employees "parent" company. Also with lower wages and NO benefits, employees quit to get a better jobs more often. So children may have a new bus driver, cafeteria worker, or custodian every year if not more frequently. Numerous current support staff employees have service records of 10 or more years. There are current support staff that have 20 years or more with the district. The district will probably be contracting out the jobs to employees that only have 5 years or less with the contractor company. Also if the district chooses to change contractors then all the employees will be new to the children and community because the employees are not just handed over to the new contractor. If the district contracts out, all the current support staff will have to be hired by the contractor to keep their current job probably at a lower pay rate and NO benefits. Numerous current support staff employees are paid under $12,000 gross per year. If they have to take a pay cut to do the same job, some of them may need to find a different job to earn about the same current amount just to support their family. Good wages is the reason why current employees don't leave. Why have employees come and go over pay and benefits when the current system is retaining employees for over ten years or more on average?
WSSD contracting out will cause the taxpayers' rates to rise. Currently WSSD owns all its current equipment like school buses, kitchen equipment and supplies, cleaning carts, etc... If the district contracts out the employees jobs, they will probably sell the equipment to the contractor as well. So they will be renting the use of the same equipment, they brought and paid for once, over years and years while the contractor owns it. The district will also start paying taxes for the contractor to buy new equipment, maintenance, parts and service, etc... on the equipment as it needs it in the future. Currently all parts, services, etc... paid by the district is TAX FREE. Unless the district can legally purchase TAX FREE items and "give" them to a for profit, tax paying company, how is contracting out cheaper? One example of this is the fuel cost for the diesel equipment used by the district. The WSSD can and has locked in a for a year a diesel fuel price of $1.25 per gallon that is delivered directly to the district's diesel pumps located on district property. A contractor can not avoid taxes unless they can get tax exempt, so they will have to pay close market price which changes all the time. The current price of diesel fuel is about $3.50 per gallon, because of the local, federal, road, etc... taxes that are applied. Why have the taxpayers pay for a companies tax obligations as well?
Please help keep the WSSD directly employing the current support staff and not contracting out any support staff services.
2. Ban the Isle Of Man's Bendy buses
"MANX transport officials may give the green light for the Isle of Man's first articulated bus — the so-called bendy bus — to go into service if the results of current trials are favourable".
It has been said that 'At peak periods we have lots of school children and this would carry more people so it is more economical.'
Quite apart from these buses not being thought suitable for the Islands roads by a large proportion of Island residents it is also thought dangerous for so many schoolchildren to be standing during transit as many other countries are moving towards one child, one seat on school transport.
These buses during trial have been seen to be unreliable with well documented breakdowns within the local press.
3. Tougher Penalties for Passing Stopped School Bus
In March 2011, Nash County an 11 year boy was struck by a truck that passes a stopped school bus. There was another situation where a little boy was waiting on the bus and when crossing the road he was struck by a truck and the driver had been drinking. He was killed. In one day, there were a total of 3,196 counts of vehicles passing a stopped school bus in one day.
In the national count last year, there were a total of 88,025 violations in one day. Sure they passed a tougher penalty for drivers that hit and kill a child boarding the bus to a Class H felony, but do they have to wait for a child to be hit to enforce the harsher punishment.
4. Tell MTA No Fare and Toll Hike
As you may know Metropolitan Transportation Authority which operates New York City Subway, buses and two commuter railroads, and 7 toll bridges and they are planning to increase their fare and toll on March 2013.
We are asking anyone who live in USA, live in New York or stay in New York to tell MTA no fare & toll hike.
This fare hike will also affect Bee-Line Buses in Westchester County and NICE Bus in Nassau County
5. Protesting Bus-only lane on Westwood Boulevard
The Westside Mobility Plan (bus-only lanes on Westwood Blvd.) is working on taking away the on street parking spaces and instead create a bus only lane on Westwood blvd between Pico and Le Conte (both north bound and south bound).
6. Free Bus Fare For Kids NE (GNE)
Go North East bus fares should be free for all kids under 16.
7. Put Spencer McIntyre on the bus!
Spencer Needs help getting to school. He lives the requisite distance from the school to qualify for bussing. The walk is 50 minutes across a busy, highway without sidewalks or bike lanes. It is not safe.
The school, the board, and the bus company are refusing to help. Their policy is "Pass the Buck". We need to get Spencer on the bus before winter sets in.
8. Install seat belts to Buses
Due to the recent fatal bus accident in NSW, September 2012, it is crucial that all public transport, particularly school buses, be installed with seat belts.
Local Governments need to be held accountable for their failure to ensure this is carried out.
This petition will be forwarded to the relevant members of Parliament.
9. End the Moncton Bus Lockout
It all began with the threat of a strike in the middle of March. Next came the cut back on routes June 17, and then came the lock out on June 27.
The people have been without public transit for over 2 months with no sign of an agreement. The needs of the public are being affected by this lack of progress.
An agreement between ATU1290 Codiac Transit and the city of Moncton is essential for businesses and residential combined.
10. Reinstate a Woodingdean/Rottingdean Weekend Night Bus
Until recently, Brighton & Hove Buses ran a Nightclub Bus Service [N97] from "Kingsway, Babylon Lounge" to Rottingdean, via Woodingdean.
Now that the service has ended, people in the Woodingdean and Rottingdean areas have been left without a way to get back home after going into town at night, unless they can afford an expensive taxi.
11. San Ysidro High School Hours and Schedules
The Sweetwater Union High School District has approved for cuts operating budget to cope with the state’s relentless fiscal crisis, and will be laying off bus drivers.
San Ysidro High school currently uses the most buses in the district because of its location and the fact that no sidewalks are provided.
San Ysidro High school currently operates a block schedule Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. depending on the student's and teacher's class schedule.
By implementing a later time frame than the 2011 - 2012 schedule, it will negatively affect San Ysidro High School.
It will negatively affect the people of San Ysidro High School.
It negatively affect those associated to San Ysidro High School.
There will be no After school Programs due to the late end times.
Athletes and those whom are associated in competitive teams and/or clubs will miss more class time, and will result in lower test scores, a lower GPA, and will affect the chances of a student from graduating and entering a College or University of their dreams.
It is immoral how San Ysidro High School the only school in the district to have a starting time from ( 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m ), and promptly have to start even later time with an all class schedule.
12. Support frequent La Trobe University Shuttle Buses
This year, 2012, the La Trobe Student Union is lobbying the university to make improvements to accessibility and diversity of public transport across the board.
The LTSU believes that the provision of frequent shuttle buses to Macleod and Reservoir stations is an important and relatively low-cost measure which can be taken to improve accessibility to rail transport, and to relieve pressure upon the parking and tram systems.
Shuttle buses are already provided effectively by a number of other universities in Melbourne, and it is time that La Trobe moved decisively to improve the poor standard of public transport at the Bundoora Campus.
13. Stop the cuts to the Culm Valley Connect Bus Service
Stagecoach South West recently announced a reduced 1/1A/1B bus service effective from 2nd April 2012 the old and the new timetables can be viewed at
http://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables.aspx?serviceid=34&locationId=65&from=&to=&locval=142
And also journey times to and from Exeter have increased as all buses now go via the narrow roads of Bradninch.
=== update 14/03/2012 ===
Pressure on Stagecoach is starting to have a positive effect and it looks as if the loss of the service covering the Old Tiverton and Langland roads in Cullompton will be reversed and and the alternative route using Colebrook Lane and Forcefield Road will not be adopted following pressure from residents. But currently the other proposed changes still stand so keep signing the petition please.
14. Support Late Night Transportation in Jackson Hole
The mission behind this petition is to make Jackson Hole a safer and more open community. Very simple in its intention, the Late Night Transportation Crusade is an acknowledgement of a voiced need from the residents, visitors and seasonal friends of this area.
Whether you vacation or live, ski or snowboard, farm or hunt, dance or run, paint or sing in Jackson, you have been a part of this community and have experienced that this place takes care of its own.
We collectively want this to be a safe, beautiful and enjoyable place to live and visit; a socially responsible community that comes together to support each other when the situation calls for it. This is a moment for us to shine, to say we need and want Late Night Transportation.
We want less impaired driving, fewer DUI arrests, less animals killed on the road, our tourists to get downtown and our locals to Teton Village, our employees to have a ride and our friends and visitors to get home safe. We want to work hard, play hard and experience all of Jackson—and be safe getting home.
There are models for Safe Ride Programs all over the United States and the intended outcome of this petition is to generate ideas for the model that fits Jackson best, and to establish a non-profit for its implementation. The Crusade’s Facebook page, facebook.com/JH.Latenight, will act as a forum for research and discussion and you are invited to visit and share your ideas, thoughts, concerns and comments.
15. Tell leaders you want non-electronic alternatives to McGuinty's Presto Transit Pass
Transit drivers in Hamilton have told me many passengers experience problems with the Presto pass. One Presto worker threatened to revoke my monthly pass mid-month if a questionable $2.75 fare indicated by Presto was not paid.
As Toronto is / will be also implementing the Presto pass system, and we face an election October 6 in Ontario, I felt this a good time to question the accuracy of Presto passenger records from the pass, and the arrogance of workers and administrators of Presto.
16. Release Katya and other animals from cages on a parked bus
Since, 2009, Katya, a 36-year-old bear who performed during the 1980 Moscow Olympics has been kept with other retired circus animals in a rusty old bus parked on the outskirts of St. Petersburg.
Animal rights activists in Russia say they receive only minimal care in their cramped and stinking cages.
The aging bear spends the long hours jumping up and down in her cage and trying to crack the rusty metal railings with her chipped teeth.
"They can't move normally and start going crazy," Zoya Afanasyeva of the Vita animal rights group said as she stood by Katya's sweltering bus on a hot summer day.
"Apparently they are being taken care of, but not more often than once a day, and this care is perfunctory because the smell here in the parking lot is unbearable".
17. Prevent the Smart Bus from Charging Personal Care Assistance
As of August1, 2011, Smart is going to be charging Personal Care Assistance to ride the smart bus!
This would mean that someone that requires an assistant would still be able to pay a dollar each way because of their special fair, but their assistant would be paying 4 Dollars each way.
Many people with disabilities have to be taught how to ride the smart bus, and they are taught by a mobility teacher throughout the years of Kindergarten through twelfth grade. There are a lot of mobility teachers, and they each have many students that they have to teach. The company that the mobility teachers work for, for example, the MISD, has to pay a dollar each way for each student that is taken on a bus trip, and now they will have to pay 4 dollars each way for the mobility teacher.
This could eventually become impossible with all of the budget cuts! There will be people not getting taught how to ride the smart bus, and when they are older, and they have to go somewhere like a job, and no one is available to take them, they won’t know what to do!
18. We need a bus from Johannesburg to Sparton Kempton Park
Please can we get a bus from Johannesburg to Sparton kempton park. We are suffering because we have no alternative transport other than Taxis which are very expensive and we don't afford it. Help us.
19. Support Twickenham to Kingston Bus via Strawberry Vale
Support our campaign now by signing this petition. See details at www.t2kbus.com.
Thank you.
20. Keep Route 65
OC Transpo is trying to approve their proposed business plan,
which would be implemented in September 2011. One of the
routes under review for consolidation to reduce duplication is
route 65, a bus servicing North Kanta. If route 65 is
removed, its usual passengers would be forced to take one of
two buses, depending on their location, the 60 and 68, both
of which are always at maximum capacity by the time they
reach stops accessible to the passengers of the 65.
21. Save Our Bus 33 Norton Canes (SOB 33 NC)
Tuesday 8th March 2011 ...
The new service 32 along Walsall Rd/ Norton Green Lane/ Chapel St-Church Rd does not start until 8.44am, and several people have complained that this is too late for those commuting to work and school.
This matter has been raised with the Parish Council, Arriva and Staffordshire County Council.
If this affects you, please let the county council and Arriva know about your circumstances. If they know what people want and need, they can respond!
TUESDAY 1st March 2011 ... Update ...
Arriva confirm -
Mon to Sat, service 32
Brownhills to Rugeley (to Cannock)
Calling at the stop at Norton Green Lane/ Chapel St from 8.45 (9.48 Sat) half hourly until 5.40 (5.10 Sat)
Rugeley to Brownhills (from Cannock)
Calling at the stop on Norton Green Lane/ Chapel St from 8.49 half hourly until 5.19, Mon to Sat
SUNDAYS, service 33
hourly
This service has been reinstated on a 'use it, or lose it' basis, so it is important that we all use this bus!
There are several commuters and students who will find that the arrangements above start too late and finish too early to be effective for their daily commute, and will either have to walk to the library for the 33, or seek alternative arrangements.
If you are one of these people, I suggest you write to Staffordshire County Council and Arriva at the addresses below and hopefully they will look at including an earlier and later service at the next review.
The new service 62 beginning shortly operated by Heartland Buses will NOT be running along the Walsall Rd/ Norton Green Lane/ Chapel St-Church Rd triangle.
**************
SUNDAY 27th Feb ...
The 33 has been running along Norton Green Lane/ Chapel St every hour, today, Sunday. Not sure if the 33 will run every Sunday, or just for this week.
There is also some talk about a service 62, operated by Heartlands bus company, but we don't have any more information yet.
UPDATE !! GOOD NEWS !!
Please see below, taken from Arriva's website Friday 25th 2011.
"Following talks today with Staffordshire County Council, Arriva Midlands is pleased to announce the reintroduction of buses to an area of Norton Canes that was to lose its links to Brownhills, Cannock, Hednesford and Rugeley from Saturday 26 February 2011.
Service 32 will be diverted in Norton Canes to serve Chapel Street, Norton Green Lane and Walsall Road to and from Brownhills, Cannock, Hednesford and Rugeley from Saturday 26 February 2011.
Keith Myatt, communications manager for Arriva Midlands, said: 'The decision to reintroduce buses to the Chapel Lane and Norton Green Lane areas of Norton Canes shows that Arriva has listened to its customers concerns and is pleased to meet the requests.'
SOB 33 NC would like to thank Arriva and Staffordshire County Council for their response, as well as Norton Canes Parish Council, Linda Florence, Cllr Beddows and MP Aidan Burley for their efforts to protect our bus service. Finally to all those who supported the campaign, collected signatures and put up posters.
Bus times are on the Arriva website, but as a rough guide, they will be running through our part of the village:
To Walsall -
10 and 40 mins past the hour from 8.40 until 5.10
To Cannock and Rugeley -
10 and 35 mins past the hour from 8.35 until 5.10 (and 5.40 weekdays)
(edited 27.02.2011) SERVICE 32 ON SUNDAYS ... PLEASE SEE ABOVE...
Arriva Customer Services, FREEPOST ANG 7624, Luton
Bedfordshire. LU4 8BR
Staffordshire County Council:
Public Transport, Staffs County Council, County Buildings
Martin Street, Stafford. ST16 2LR
publictransport@staffordshire.gov.uk
22. Save Essex School Bus Escorts
Essex County Council has announced to parents that it is to make it's school bus escorts redundant from Easter 2011.
It's decision raises many safety concerns with the County's parents and we are urging them to reverse their decision.
23. Fairness for King George Students and Parents
The Upper Grand District School Board has chosen Waverley Drive Public School to be the home of English-track King George Public School students while the new King George school is being built.
Waverley is located several kilometres from the King George site and the Board is expecting students to walk up to 45 minutes to and from school along and across busy roads, including arterial roads such as Eramosa and Speedvale.
However, due to safety concerns, it is unlikely that many students will actually walk. Many parents will be forced to drive their child to school, causing traffic congestion and safety concerns at Waverley. Parents unable to drive their child may send their child to school on a City bus, but some parents will be unable to afford the cost - more than $600 for the school year.
Parents choose where to live based upon their personal perception of their child's safety when walking to school, and affordability if their child needs to take a City bus. It is unfair for the Board to impose new conditions on the families affected by their transition project. Such Board initiatives should be designed to avoid unnecessary disruption to families, and potential danger to students.
A solution discussed among parents has students continuing to walk to and from a site near King George, and the Board providing a quick 'shuttle' bus between King George and Waverley.
This solution allows the healthy walking culture at schools such as Laurine Avenue and Ottawa Crescent Public Schools to continue, while providing safe transportation to Waverley.
The Board's King George transition project has a budget near $9 million. Most parents of students walking to and from King George have subsidized the busing of students at other schools for many years. Now students in the King George area need busing - for one school year - and parents are being told the well is dry. Surely the board can find the funds to provide shuttle busing to and from Waverley while a new King George Public School is built.
24. Murray Bridge needs public transport improvement
Improvement of Murray Bridge Public Transport
Murray Bridge is a growing city with a current population of approximately 18-20,000 (2010). Around 2005 the town’s regular bus service was decommissioned and replaced with a ‘Dial-A-Ride’ service, which sparked controversy right across the city.
The old regular service used to run three times a day and had four different loops. Which connected the northern, western and southern suburbs to the city centre. The current ‘Dial-A-Ride’ service, leaves the main shopping centre every hour, and can take passengers right to their doorstep. The service takes an hour’s break for lunch. Both services only operate on weekdays from 8am until 4pm, and charge non-metropolitan fares.
2010 has seen some significant changes to Murray Bridge: the commencement for construction of a new large shopping mall (which will be completed towards then end of 2011), the agreement to expand the current shopping mall, rapid expansion of both inner and outer suburbs, and the commencement for construction of a new suburb development with a new multi-million dollar equine and racing facility to be included.
This has excited citizens, new opportunities, education, entertainment, and maybe a new face to Murray Bridge. But one thing is still missing, the development of a better public transport service.
Murray Bridge’s Inter-city and Regional Public Transport service isn’t any better. Murray Bridge is approximately 76km away from South Australia’s capitol, Adelaide. The inter-city service to commute citizens between the cities has seen some improvement but is still lacking so much. The cost for a High-school student to travel from Murray Bridge to Adelaide is $10.00 one way. That is way to expensive, and is even more expensive for a regular fare. Someone needing to regularly travel into the capitol is going to have to save a lot of his or her income, just for a bus ride.
Adelaide and surrounds are seeing improvements with the service provided, but what about Murray Bridge?
The national Melbourne to Adelaide railway line runs through Murray Bridge, and the city has its own railway station. In fact, include the outer suburbs of Murray Bridge; there are around 3-4 stations (Kanchina, Murray Bridge City, Rabilla and Monteith). The outer suburb stations are no longer in use, after the decommissioning of the regular country train services, back in the later years of the 20th Century.
The cost for a student to travel on the “Overland” train bound for Adelaide is $15 from Murray Bridge. That is $5.30 difference, from a luxury train to a regular bus. Something really needs to be done.
Bus stops are dotted across the city, but are no longer in use, citizens have to walk, and some have to walk great distances just to get their daily needs. I believe I do not stand alone with this topic, I have personally asked various citizens around the city, and the majority agrees.
I have asked the council numerous times about this matter, but I am given the same answer. “That they are working with the State Government on finding a solution.” Clearly, no solution has been found.
Murray Bridge needs a new service, and needs one now.
25. Petition ACT Action buses for mobile application
Hey all,
We are a group of ANU university students, and as a born and bred Canberran, I’ve always had trouble with the Action Bus system. I have a hard time finding out where the stops are, the bus website is really hard to use on the go, and judging from the posts already made regarding this, I decided to go ahead and implement a mobile application for Action.
Our ideas so far involve a live-bus positioning so that you know where the bus is along its route, telling you the closest bus stop along with the times, scheduling a trip, alarms and anything people can suggest.
We developed a prototype with dummy data, and met up with Action to show them our work so far, and to try and get the data needed to get it working perfectly and accurately.
We were unfortunately told that while Action already has all the compiled Google Transit Feed data, they cannot provide us with anything due to the politics and bureaucracy involved
We want to develop our application for Android, iPhone, and even Blackberries, but we cant until we get the data and Action’s help.
26. Save Castleford Interchange
Castleford's long-awaited £14.5m bus and rail interchange could fall victim to government spending cuts.
The Department for Transport is due to make a decision on whether to provide funding for the transport hub later this month,
27. Add Cameras to School Buses
After seeing our own children targeted by their bus driver, when no other adult or teacher has ever had a complaint on them, and then having one of them get suspended off the bus for "playing" and hearing him deny it, as his parents, we went to defend him at the school, and the administrative office only to be told nothing could be done.
It was his word against the bus driver's. Cameras on the bus would ensure the child and the bus driver from having to defend their own word. It would also keep the bus driver from feeling he/she has to constantly keep their eyes on the children while driving to make sure they are behaving rather than keeping his eyes on the road. Which in my opinion is a safety hazard.
28. Put Seat Belts in School Buses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5OoWQaWeRs - Visit this web address and see what happens when a school bus rolls over on its side with a bus load of children. This is unacceptable.
Our children should be in seat belts on the bus to protect them from getting hurt or killed.
29. Late Night Transport for the Tweed
Since Safer Communities Alliance was first formed, the concept of a late night transport system from the Coolangatta entertainment district to Tweed suburbs has been considered a necessity and a priority.
We have heard shocking stories of the extremes that young people will go to in order to get home from Coolangatta after the last bus has ran at 11pm. Extremes such as drunk driving, hitch hiking and designated drivers carrying as many as 10 people in one car.
We have also heard from residents other than the youth, who would like to be able to have a night out in Coolangatta without the huge expense or headache of finding a way home late at night.
As Coolangatta is the closest entertainment district for most Tweed residents we believe this issue needs to be addressed.
Gold Coast City Council has announced a trial late night bus service, funded by Gold Coast ratepayers. The service is a 12 month trial and will run every Friday and Saturday evening. The bus will depart from Coolangatta every hour at 12.15am, 1.15am, 2.15am & 3.15am. The cost will be a very affordable $3.90 or $2.43 on a Go Card. The bus will travel through Tweed, Banora, Chinderah and cease at Kingscliff. There will be security accompanying all services.
We believe that the burden of funding this project should be shared by Tweed Shire Council, who have at this stage offered no assistance or interest in the project.
We also believe that for the project to be truly effective, the service should run through to Pottsville to service residents who are most isolated from the entertainment district.
This project stands to benefit not just young people who want to party, but also adults who would like to enjoy the entertainment precinct of Coolangatta. This service could also benefit young people under 18 who simply want to see a late movie and would ensure them a safe trip home. And last but not least, this project will help to move people out of Coolangatta quickly and safely, preventing, we believe, situations from developing and escalating that are common when a large number of people fuelled by alcohol are forced to linger in one place.
So please support us in supporting Tweed residents.
30. Support a bus service to Bryngwyn Village Gorseinon
There is currently no bus route to the Bryngwyn Village Gorseinon or the Canolfan Gorseinon Centre to provide for local residents' needs.