Often not at all. I have been one who has been pretty skeptical, fairly critical of the recent privatization of the Long Island Bus. The Nice name is the new name of the Long Island Bus now that it is no longer run by the MTA but instead in a "partnership" between Nassau County and the Veolia Chicago based private bus company.
My concern was that one or more of the following were likely to happen.
1. Fares will raise.
2. Routes will be eliminated or cut-fewer stops.
3. The salaries of employees will be cut.
4. Many will be let go in favor of lower paid new employees
How much of this has, is coming, or will become true?
As far as fares, not yet. NICE did make a deal not to raise fares for at least a year. The down side is the year started last Summer when the agreement was reached-rather than in January when NICE actually assumed ownership. I'm waiting to see how long it takes them to raise fares.
As to number 2, there haven't been much yet. Still do have a few "new" routes which are really just old routes with fewer stops. On the N4 for example that runs between Jamaica and Freeport, in the evenings the bus runs about every 10 minutes, but every other one now stops short in Rockville Centre. This is called a "new route."
As to 3 and 4 I'm not sure. I have spoken to drivers who say that NICE gives nothing-at best the "negotiations" mean employees give up one thing to keep another .So far there have been some new employees, I'm not sure whether or not there has been a housecleaning yet-note I say yet.
I'm a skeptic. I'll believe prices don't go up the minute the year they agreed to is over when it doesn't. I'll believe they don't cut back service when I see it.
With the 4 things I was concerned, it is interesting that there have been a few things I have seen that have actually impressed me. For one thing I have seen a couple of new buses, all orange that look much better than the buses Long Island Bus has driven for years. I heard that all the buses will look like this eventually.
If true, this is a major improvement. While I am a major privatization skeptic-I imagine a private company only concerned with cutting back on everything to keep costs down-this is a welcome surprise. No matter what you think about privatization of this bus, for years it has been far from perfect as a public company. The buses are old, the uniforms are old, basic upkeep hasn't happened for years.
If we do see all the buses look like these few it will be a major improvement. Of course, I'm cynical. If they improve the look of the buses this much is this an excuse to raise fares all that more?
Tonight I had a typical interaction with a bus driver. I have to take two buses to get from my house in Baldwin, NY to Jericho. Tonight I just missed the N35-when I saw it I ran but couldn't catch it. After it left I saw it was still only 8:45-the scheduled departure time. In other words it left early. I noticed when the 9:15 came, we left at 9:14.
When I got to the Hempstead Bus terminal I had to wait an extra half hour for the N49-thanks to missing the 8:45. I didn't know this but they shut down the terminal at 9:45 and kick us out. Any buses now have to be caught across the street by the railroad station.
I saw a driver in a N35 bus and asked him about the N49. He said that he didn't think any more were coming which worried me-that was the only way I could get to work I pointed out that the schedule said there was a N49 at 10:15. He remained unconvinced. "That's during the week."
I even showed him the schedule which said Saturday and 10:15. I don't know if he didn't believe what he was reading-or maybe he can't read... He remained unconvinced. While talking some other guy came and asked him about the N6.
"Does this bus say N6?" he asks the guy. The guy got ticked and cursed him out. Just another day in the life at Long Island Bus. If Nice can improve on the rudeness of so many drivers they really are nicer than I ever thought.
Yes the N49 came at 10:15. Clearly that driver is very knowledgeable.
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