What a fuck up.
Jul. 17th, 2009 07:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eretriaHave I mentioned yet what a clusterfuck the public transportation in Berlin is at the moment?
For you non-German readers: It has been found out at the beginning of May that a couple of the wheels on the local trains were not as sturdy as they should be, potentially causing accidents.
The S-Bahn (biggest local public transportation) has been told by the public transportation authorities to check the wheels every seven days for weaknesses in order to keep the customers safe.
Guess what the PTA found out at the beginning of July? A big fat NOTHING had happened. The reason for that is simple enough: During the past years, many trains that were still in good shape had been decommissioned and a lot of repair shops have been closed, specialised mechanics fired. All in the name of saving money - which, surprise, surprise, went to a big percentage to the group's "mother", Deutsche Bahn. We can say that the Berlin train cow was milked dry.
And now? The PTA has orderd the check up on the wheels to happen immediately, thus effectively removing about 2/3 of all the PT trains. With no trains to replace them and no mechanics to repair them and no shops to repair them at.
And, yes, thousands of people depend on those trains - day in, day out - since Berlin is the city with the most people not owning cars. And you can't get everywhere with the other means of PT. And a bicycle only helps so much when you need to go to the other side of the city.
It's been okay thus far on the route I'm taking, but it's a real problem in the centre of the city, where, as was reported yesterday, no more of the S-Bahn trains will be running for two weeks. They're trying to make do with regular trains, but those can't stop at every station.
It'll be so much fun trying to get into the city to showenname around and then getting her to her station on the day she leaves. Which, incedentally, is the same day I'm going to Hamburg for a slightly bigger court appointment.
I know we're spoiled by our PT, other cities don't have one at all or one that doesn't work very well. BUt when you see that they made money on axing security measures? I get so angry I want to punch people.
Oh, yes, and when will this whole thing be fixed? In December. Maybe. Or maybe sometimes in 2010.
I'll be over here, trying not to scream.
For you non-German readers: It has been found out at the beginning of May that a couple of the wheels on the local trains were not as sturdy as they should be, potentially causing accidents.
The S-Bahn (biggest local public transportation) has been told by the public transportation authorities to check the wheels every seven days for weaknesses in order to keep the customers safe.
Guess what the PTA found out at the beginning of July? A big fat NOTHING had happened. The reason for that is simple enough: During the past years, many trains that were still in good shape had been decommissioned and a lot of repair shops have been closed, specialised mechanics fired. All in the name of saving money - which, surprise, surprise, went to a big percentage to the group's "mother", Deutsche Bahn. We can say that the Berlin train cow was milked dry.
And now? The PTA has orderd the check up on the wheels to happen immediately, thus effectively removing about 2/3 of all the PT trains. With no trains to replace them and no mechanics to repair them and no shops to repair them at.
And, yes, thousands of people depend on those trains - day in, day out - since Berlin is the city with the most people not owning cars. And you can't get everywhere with the other means of PT. And a bicycle only helps so much when you need to go to the other side of the city.
It's been okay thus far on the route I'm taking, but it's a real problem in the centre of the city, where, as was reported yesterday, no more of the S-Bahn trains will be running for two weeks. They're trying to make do with regular trains, but those can't stop at every station.
It'll be so much fun trying to get into the city to show
enname around and then getting her to her station on the day she leaves. Which, incedentally, is the same day I'm going to Hamburg for a slightly bigger court appointment.I know we're spoiled by our PT, other cities don't have one at all or one that doesn't work very well. BUt when you see that they made money on axing security measures? I get so angry I want to punch people.
Oh, yes, and when will this whole thing be fixed? In December. Maybe. Or maybe sometimes in 2010.
I'll be over here, trying not to scream.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-17 09:10 pm (UTC)I do sympathize with your bitterness, in any case. I've never lived anywhere with public transpo that was any use to me -- after you drive twenty miles to town, you may as well drive around in town -- but maintaining infrastructure is part of the cost of doing business. Failing to do so...well, Berlin's getting a taste of the same stupidity running rampant here.