When was the last time that you rode the public bus? For many of us, it could very well be over six months ago – possibly even approaching a year. But, although you and nobody
you know actively take the public bus, they continue to scour the city, picking up and dropping off people, seemingly every 25 feet. So, that must mean they have some sort of clientele, right? If that’s the case, why is taking the bus so rare for so many people? Well, the modern bussing systems run based on a “choice” and “captive” rider system. “Choice” riders are exactly what the name implies; individuals who take the bus because they want to. Maybe they have to go to work, and their car is in the shop – or they just want to sit on the lovely colourful upholstery of the bus seats. No matter the reason, these people are on the bus because they want to be, and they have other options for transport if they so desire.
On the other side of the bus ticket lie the “captive” riders: people who are riding the bus simply out of necessity. Perhaps they don’t have access to alternate transport, or cannot afford a personal vehicle and take the bus as their primary means of transportation, simply because it's more affordable. And frankly, they’d be correct! The bus system is relatively cheap, only costing around $2.75 per trip. With gas prices continuing to be fluctuational and disheartening, you’d be lucky if that $2.75 got you more than four blocks in a personal vehicle.
Yet, still, despite the bus systems being relatively affordable, green, and convenient for most people in an urban environment, the public bus is extremely stigmatized. Because of the “choice” vs. “captive” rider descriptors, a class standard is created, turning away potential patrons from ever experiencing the breathtaking upholstery and soothing sounds of the bus engine. In North Carolina, Charlotte City Council member Braxton Winston pointed to “residential segregation and the bus system’s historical use by people like cleaning personnel and domestic workers who need to get into the city centre to work but didn’t own cars” as some examples as to why the public has a negative perception of busses. There is a social understanding and construction that if you take the bus it's because you’re a member of the lower class, which has a very prevalent negative connotation in our wealth-driven world. Public transportation, especially in smaller cities, is socially reserved for those of lower economic status, therefore dissuading members of the middle and higher class, who can afford a personal vehicle, from taking the public transport system for fear of appearing lower class, or of interacting and being affiliated with members of the lower class.
Due to social expectations of economic status, as well as the consumerist mentalities of capitalistic society, we are taught that if we can afford to buy a personal vehicle, we absolutely should, which furthers the negativity ensnaring public transport by putting a stigma on those who do not own vehicles.
Of course, the issue is not completely social. Whilst discussing bus stigma is important, it is difficult to not touch on the issues of the bus system itself while doing so. After all, people will not use public transportation if public transportation isn’t appealing or convenient to them. Therefore, there are steps being taken by public transport systems nationwide, working to decrease the time between busses at any given stop, and to improve service, cleanliness, accessibility, and affordability in the name of public interest.
Another solution to make the bus system more appealing is to incorporate multiple forms of payment for tickets, not just exact change. After all, cash, especially exact change, is being carried less and less due to electronic payment systems simply being more accessible. Needing exact change to ride a bus and not being able to rely on a debit card, e-transfer, or any other electronic payments dissuades many people from considering the bus system as a reliable form of transportation. On top of this, bus routes and maps are notoriously difficult to comprehend, raising the chances of individuals having negative experiences with the bus system due to not being able to figure out what stop to get off at, or having difficulty figuring out which bus goes to what location.
In the modern day, accessibility is key. Why should someone take a bus if there is a much more accessible system available? To properly eradicate the stigma surrounding the bus system, we need to get people to take advantage of public transport. To do this, cities need to refine the pre-existing systems, taking voices into consideration from all social and economic classes possible, making sure that busses will be easily used by everyone. Once this happens, social mentalities will change naturally, and with the help of destigmatizing in class circles, busses may become the height of public transportation.
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