One of the bus drivers who came to Whistler to help with the enhanced Olympic transit service is speaking out this week, saying a lack of organization, communication and information from B.C. Transit to drivers is to blame for all the service frustrations.

The driver, who spoke to The Question on condition of anonymity, said that as of Monday (Feb. 8) — just one week into the beefed up bus service in Whistler — 40 of the 250 bus drivers who came from across Canada for the Games have quit and returned home.

“B.C. Transit dropped the ball on this,” he said. “We had three days of training… We didn’t get a chance to see all the routes.

“The trainers did their best, but they weren’t provided with adequate information either. It was pretty poor.”

When asked about drivers who have quit, B.C. Transit spokesperson Joanna Morton said Tuesday (Feb. 9) that only seven drivers have left for “various reasons.” Of those, only two quit early on in training because “it wasn’t what they had expected,” she said. All the other drivers are happy to be here, Morton added.

But the driver who decided to go public said it’s not just the lack of training, route confusion and frustrated customers that are taking a toll. Many of the drivers didn’t realize they would be staying in Squamish and working more than an hour away by bus in Whistler. The commute is currently adding about three unpaid hours to the 10-hour workday, he said.

Meanwhile, frustrations with ill-informed drivers and changes to Whistler’s transit service seem to have come to a head for at least a few passengers with the assault of a driver on board a bus Sunday night (Feb. 7).

Morton said a driver was engaged in a conversation with a customer who seemed “agitated” when two other male passengers got involved. At one point, one of the passengers grabbed the driver’s shirt collar, she said.

The men then left the bus and the operator drove to the Main Street transit exchange to report the incident to a B.C. Transit supervisor, Morton said. Police were called and the passengers were apprehended when they boarded another bus. The driver said he didn’t want to press charges and the passengers apologized, she said.

“It was a disturbing experience,” Morton said. “It’s definitely something we don’t want to happen to our staff… Safety is our No. 1 priority.”

Morton said the driver has continued to work.

The driver who approached The Question with his story said he wanted to help “put Canada’s best foot forward” by coming to Whistler to drive for the Olympics. He had to give up his vacation time for next year to come.

The drivers are doing their best and understand why some people are frustrated, but it’s “really tough” to figure out routes in a new place with “incomplete or wrong” training manuals and after training sessions done at night, he said. Drivers got about 15 minutes of training on each the highway coaches, double-decker buses and the hydrogen buses, which continue to break down, he said.

“The biggest part of it is the disorganization,” he said. “We’re doing the job that B.C. Transit should have done ahead of time for us.”

Though he said he’s thought about quitting, he still wants to represent his city, transit company and Canada. Things are starting to get better as drivers get more familiar with the routes, but he’s concerned that it will get tougher still when the Olympic crowds arrive.

Overall, passengers have been “great” and have helped make the experience positive, he said.

“We’re just trying to help people,” he said. “Our goal is to go out and do our job well.”

Morton said drivers started to arrive in Whistler on Jan. 26 and 27 and training started right away. Drivers were also sent maps and information before they arrived so they could prepare, she said.

“Our safety, security and training staff have been working very closely with all the operators,” Morton said. “Training has been extensive.”

Despite reports this week of service delays and people being passed by at stops by nearly empty buses, Morton said the bugs that were expected with greatly enhanced service are being worked out.

“We’re monitoring the service 24/7,” she said. “We’re working diligently to make sure we’re able to provide the service we’re promoting.”

B.C. Transit has also added a special shuttle to move skiers and other passengers between the Main Street and Gondola transit exchanges. The shuttle is now running from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and moves continually between the two exchanges with no stops in between, Morton said.

The electronic bus display is marked “Special” and signs on the side of the bus indicate “Gondola/Main St. Shuttle.” The shuttle fare is $2 per trip or passengers can use their February bus pass.