UB's current busing team is the Bad News Bears of transportation. Mismatched, crowded, run-down buses offer maddeningly inconsistent service to the thousands of UB students who use them to travel between campuses, or from Ellicott to the Spine. UB's switch to a new transportation company, Cognisa, is a positive step that should make UB's busing system more efficient, and with new, UB-branded buses, will give UB a new visual impact on campus and in the surrounding community.
The decision for the switch from Coach USA to Cognisa was made for one reason: cost. Cognisa simply offered a lower-cost contract bid that UB is forced by state requirements to accept. Fortunately for UB, cheaper does not necessarily mean lower quality. According to a study by UB Parking and Transportation, one of four Coach USA buses is not on time, and a study by The Spectrum showed that at times of peak ridership, it is not uncommon for only six of 14 scheduled inter-campus buses to make Lee Loop in an hour. Cognisa said they could significantly improve that rate, claiming a 99 percent on-time rate at Texas State University.
Granted, the route between campuses adds traffic problems Cognisa hasn't had to deal with at Texas State, but Cognisa will have an on-campus bus manager - which Coach USA never had - to monitor buses, something that should improve the bus efficiency. This on-campus manager also bridges the communication gap Coach USA has with UB officials. The current system offers no immediate adjustment for when a driver calls in sick or some other service disruption, with UB's only feedback coming from student complaint calls.
The Cognisa contract is also worker-friendly; the company has told current UB bus drivers that they will have the first shot at driving the new buses, provided they leave Coach USA. This is obviously good for the drivers, some of whom are well known and well liked by students who take the buses regularly. Initially it may not seem to make sense to re-hire the same people who drove the often-late Coach USA buses, but it seems to us that the problems were not with the drivers, but with the organization from above, something Cognisa has promised to improve. Hopefully, the drivers who decide to stay at UB will make a smooth transition to this system.
Aside from the cost, which because of the bid process is somewhat out of UB's control, the biggest impact the new bus contract will have on UB students will be the visual improvement Cognisa will bring. The current Coach USA buses look just like what they are: old, used Coach USA buses. Cognisa plans to use all one kind of brand-new bus, which in itself will improve on the look and feel of bus services, reducing breakdowns and making for cleaner bus rides. Another big advantage of the Cognisa buses is that they won't be identified as Cognisa buses; all the new buses will be boldly branded in blue and white with big UB logos on the sides, declaring their UB pride. The UB buses are a very visible part of UB, if only because they are always seen in traffic, in the bus loops, and almost every UB student has ridden one. New buses will raise morale and pride in UB, as superficial as that sounds, if only because they will be clean and new. More students will want to ride them, not just need to ride them.
Unfortunately, even though Cognisa was the lowest bidder for the UB transportation contract, rising fuel costs will translate into rising fees for UB students. This rise in cost becomes much more palatable as long as Cognisa provides an improved service for UB students, a hope the company's track record backs up.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
