Low Frequency X Yet Friendly: Bus in The City

all sorted of cars

European, Japanese

SUV, MPV, loads of MVVI

and the latest hybrid

passed me by

 

yet the public bus

I have been waiting for

is not here yet

 

taking a public bus

is like taking a chance

there must always be a back-up plan

my mom told me

if i fail to catch a bus by 11.15 am

then she will fetch me then

 

so many cars

so little buses

comparing to the other public amenities

roads, health care etc

public transportation is so screwed up

 

is it because the buses fail us

therefore people start buying cars

or the other way round

all the people start buying cars

then buses couldn’t survive anymore

 

there is once

I painstakingly waited for the bus

for more than 30 minutes

finally a bus came

but it just sped past

without having the consideration

whether if any passenger would like to

come onto the bus

 

even the city planner

ignores this thing

I mean public transportation

is supposed to be

part and parcel of a developed city

there is no painted lot

for the bus to stop

right in front of a proper bus stop

 

and drivers or motorcyclists

who saw me waiting

they gave me this peculiar look

isn’t it a normal thing

for a student like me to be taking bus

“啤咩啤啊，未見過靚女等巴士啊？”

 

taking a public bus

has been discriminated

it is mainly catered to

the elderlies and migrant workers

and some from the rural areas

 

is that guy again

I know him by face already

sometimes he is a conductor

sometimes he is a driver

despite the conditions and punctuality issues

this is the city where

you can find the most friendly drivers around

they befriend the frequent passengers

they talk to you even you hardly travel

they wait for the old citizens to be seated

they remind people to alight at the right stop

they advise tourists where to head to

 

anyway

I will continue to wait

and continue collecting the bus ticket

believing that one day

we will get buses

which allow tap-and-go

 

reaching the bus terminal

off I leave the city in a more comfortable bus

yet it’s kinda heavy-hearted

can’t wait for the weekend

to be back

to take the good old bus again

 

reached my destination

another round of waiting

the bus to my condo

comes on a hourly basis

oh man

even the Melaka-KL buses

run on higher frequency

admiring the small cars

quite a funny thing

they are always around

4 different models of Perodua

 

the small cars are the culprits

they kill the buses

maybe elsewhere

people buy cars

after achieving a certain economic status

or if they really need one

 

but here

since the small cars

are affordable and easily available

students get cars

fresh grads get cars

housewives get cars 

 

is there anyone in this city

who still believes in buses

buses / walking / cycling

or it is not the city which is peculiar

it is just me