5 Things MiWay Can Improve On

By

Published May 9, 2016 at 8:18 pm

miway

If you’re bussing in Mississauga, chances are you’re using MiWay Transit to get to where you need to go. As someone who has regularly used MiWay for their daily commute, the service is great and I often find myself very satisfied with it. However, for everything the transit service provider does right, there are still a few things that could stand to be improved. What can MiWay do to ensure riders continue to have it TheirWay? 

5. Keep Busses Running On Time 

While this often isn’t an issue, there’s nothing worse than checking your watch and tapping your foot at a bus stop because your ride was supposed to be there five minutes ago. It’s imperative for drivers to make sure they’re keeping a tight schedule, barring factors that are out of their control such as traffic and bad weather conditions. Having busses arrive consistently on time means better service for people who need to get to their destination quickly and can’t afford to be late. 

4. Keep Busses Clean 

Thankfully, MiWay is a lot cleaner than a lot of other bus services out there, at least in my experience. However, it’s not uncommon to see things like discarded coffee cups or messages scribbled on the backs of seats in permanent marker, usually near the back of the bus. While MiWay undoubtedly cleans their busses regularly, it still helps to make sure pollution and vandalism are taken care of before too many passengers have to see it. Less garbage = a cleaner and more enjoyable bus ride. 

3. Keep Crowding to a Minimum 

Again, this often isn’t a problem on most routes; you should be able to find an empty seat most of the time. Nonetheless, I’ve been on at least a few MiWay busses that were crowded from front to back, which required a number of passengers to be standing along the middle aisle for the majority of the ride. A situation like that, while not very comfortable for those standing, could also quickly become a safety hazard if the bus were to make a sudden stop. The company should keep an eye on this issue – and if absolutely necessary, allocate larger busses to routes that are more prone to crowding. 

2. Embrace New Technology 

Considering we’re a technologically advanced society, there’s many new ways Mississauga can improve the quality of its public transportation. MiWay may want to take a page out of the book of Oakville’s transit service, which has recently integrated real-time bus tracking into its system. Riders can use their smartphones to see where their bus is and how long it’ll take to reach their stop. In a similar vein, certain Oakville bus stops – such as the one at Sheridan College – have electronic signs that show the estimated time (in minutes) the next bus is expected to arrive. This is just one of many examples that show how MiWay can use technology for general QOL improvements. 

1. Spread the Word 

There’s no doubt that taking the bus is a greener alternative to driving your car everywhere. In fact, according to the MiWay page on Mississauga.ca, a bus full of passengers can eliminate up to 40 vehicles from the road, greatly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With all that said, there are still many people who insist on driving, and aren’t very aware of the positive impacts bussing can have on the environment. A public campaign that gets people’s attention and informs them on this issue would be going above and beyond the service MiWay is expected to provide. Not only would it be beneficial to the company, it would play a big part in making our city greener and healthier.

BONUS:

A Missing Tunnel or Bridge at Square One

There is no bridge or tunnel connecting Square One to the Mississauga Transit terminal which is the biggest transit hub in the western GTA. A bridge or tunnel isn’t a life or death necessity, (unless you are crossing that street to catch your bus that you are late for) but it’s nice to provide commuters with some coverage and shelter from the brutal Canadian elements (such as inappropriately icy winds in late May). Even with that new expansion of Square One nothing was done. 

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising