I missed this piece in Business in Vancouver. Thanks to Glen Korstrom for passing it along.
Staff at TransLink subsidiary Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) received a boost last year in its efforts to improve corporate efficiency. Academics at the U.K.’s Imperial College London invited CMBC in mid-2008 to join its Bus Benchmarking Group (BBG). …
Last November, the first set of results from Imperial College researchers found CMBC to be the world’s most reliable bus system. CMBC received a score of 94 out of 100 for its buses being within two minutes of their scheduled arrival times. Langmead said other transit systems scored as low as 14 in the category….
CMBC ranked below the median company on the number of kilometres its buses travel between breakdowns. In 2007, CMBC buses travelled an average of 3,500 kilometres between breakdowns. Langmead said that improved to an average of 4,500 kilometres in 2008.
Being part of the BBG also provided insights into simple things such as marking bus wheel bolts to make it easier for CMBC mechanics to spot loose bolts, a procedure used by New York’s transit system. That’s why Langmead expects TransLink to improve its ranking in that category even more in 2009. CMBC also now urges its mechanics to work more proactively on preventive maintenance to reduce costly road service.
It’s nice to know that buses are on time so often, but that doesn’t mean much when they just pass you up because they are too full!