Broken promises #1: Increased bus service

Premier Ewart Brown likes to portray himself as a man who gets things done. As a man who can cut through opposition and make things happen.

Unfortunately, reality does not always accord with this rosy image. This will be the first in a series of posts highlighting promises that he and the Government have made that they have failed to keep. If you have any other suggestions that you think should be included here, please let me know.

Let's begin with the bus service. On 5 April this year, Dr. Brown said:

"As of Monday, April 9 buses will provide new half-hourly schedules on routes 7, 8, 10 and 11. This addition to the existing schedule will create a 15-minute service to Dockyard and St. George's... the full 15-minute headway on the routes is expected to be in full operation as of May 14."

This was actually a repeat of a promise he first made at a Town Hall meeting in St. George’s in November 2006.

A few days later, however, Dr. Brown was forced into an embarrassing climb-down when it was revealed that he had not bothered to consult the bus drivers about his plan. In an attempt to help Dr. Brown save face, BIU President Chris Furbert said that the drivers were not necessarily disagreeing with the new schedule but just wanted to examine the document before signing off on it.

Seven months later, however, there is still no sign of the additional buses.