(02-10-2023, 08:19 PM)Chris Wrote: Speaking of different sized buses. When did the GRT get the stubby bus that is about 50% smaller than their typical buses? I saw one on Charles this week but didn’t have time to take a photo. Are there specific routes this (these?) were purchased for?
That's the new Vicinity Classic Vi30. As someone said, they bought them for Route 27. It allowed them to pull into Grand River Hospital, Freeport as well as make some tight turns on other streets along the route. For example, previously the 27 would turn left at the Fairway/King intersection then right onto Morgan Ave from King (and it would stop in front of the Raddison Hotel). But with the shorter bus, it can pull right onto Morgan from Fairway which cut some time off the trip and allowed them to go directly to the hospital. I'm unsure if it's used on any other routes use it in Kitchener or Waterloo. Apparently there are some in Cambridge, though.
Amusingly, I hear the drivers refer to it as the "short bus" if you know what I mean. And apparently they despise it. It has a lot of faults though I don't know specifically what, I've just heard them talk about how junk they find it.
Oddly, VMC is a Canadian company but our buses we have have written Spanish in some areas (most notably under the accessibility/priority seats). I don't find myself on that route too often but next time I am I'll have to see if there is any French at all. I would assume for things like how to operate emergency exits there is as there is surely some obscure federal law mandating those sort of things need to be bilingual.
I made a ton of money on this company back in early 2021 but now VMC trades at around 1 dollar a share. Maybe the fact their stock crashed explains why the buses now suck if the drivers are to be believed heh. Definitely would not invest in this company again.