City Council To Mayor: Make Fixing City Buses Top Priority

DETROIT (WWJ) - D-DOT bus riders have been waiting at bus stops for up to three hours because too many buses are in need of repair.

Detroit City Council on Tuesday passed a resolution urging the Mayor to make fixing city buses a top priority.  WWJ Newsradio 950's Florence Walton has an update of the city's bus crises.

City Council doesn't have authority under the City Charter to order department heads around. The function of city services are exclusive under the direction of the Mayor.

But, Councilwoman JoAnn Watson hopes the emergency resolution will send a strong message to Mayor Dave Bing and bus mechanics.

"To light a fire up under the department director, the repair people, everyone ... we are urging that the executive branch, the mayor use his good office to make some demands, the buses have got to get rolling in a way accountable to our citizens," said Watson.

Detroit Department of Transportation Director Lovette Williams was back before City Council to answer questions about the city's bus crisis.

"Now we are at about 210-212 on a daily basis so each day we are gradually improving the number of buses that are available for service," said Williams. "So, it should take us probably an additional three to four weeks, to get it to were we need it to be but as we repair buses other buses break down."

Williams was not able to report on any progress in talks between the bus mechanics union and the administration.