Buses Not Working, Passengers Left Out In The Cold

DETROIT (WWJ) - There have been long waits Tuesday in the cold for many Detroit bus passengers Tuesday. Fred Westbrook, the president of the bus drivers' Amalgamated Transit Union local 26, says many of the buses wouldn't start at the terminal on the city's east side.

"They needed a hundred-plus buses to get everything out on the street in peak hour but only 47 was available, running," said Westbrook.

Passengers at the State Fair and Northland bus stops told WWJ of up to one and two-hour waits for a bus.

J.R. Ingraham was waiting for a bus at State Fair and Woodward: "It is 22 minutes late ... the John R usually runs on time - very on time."

For Christopher Johness the wait was a lot longer for DDOT.

"An hour and a half," he said. "I am waiting on the Woodward (bus) I was waiting on the 8 Mile but now I'm waiting on the Woodward ... I'm really cold."

Johness said he had a lot of layers under his light jacket but that he can't afford a coat.

L.B. Brently was waiting at the State Fair stop on Tuesday for more than an hour and counting ..."My bus is over an hour late ... I wish I could find somewhere where I could get warm."

"It was cold outside and I couldn't understand why the bus was so late."