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Mayor Bing Promises Swift End To City Bus Crisis

DETROIT (WWJ) - Saying the up to three-hour waits at bus stops are too much, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said the city's bus crisis will be resolved within the next 30 days.

"As we look at children who are trying to get to school on time, in the cold weather waiting for a bus ... as we look at people trying to get to their jobs on a daily basis, waiting for a bus, that is unacceptable and I'm gonna do whatever I need to do to resolve that," said Bing, speaking to reporters Wednesday.

Bing said that on any given day up to one-third of Detroit Department of Transportation buses are in the shop.  While city mechanics maintain that they are under-staffed, management had accused them of a deliberate slowdown.

"Meeting with the union today I made it very clear that all of us got to work harder than we're working," said Bing.

"That's not to say that people have not worked hard, but it's not good enough ... we can't allow our citizens to go through what they've been going through any longer.

Bing said no solution is off the table and that includes the possibility of outsourcing the bus repairs. Bing did add, however, that any solution within 30 days will be a short-term one.

He will convene a committee of D-DOT and union officials on Thursday.

Bing's words on Wednesday come just one day after the Detroit City Council members criticized Bing for what they call a lack of leadership when it comes to the city's bus crisis. Council passed a resolution calling on Bing to step up his efforts.

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