Perth Western Australia 6000
Wellington St Bus Station, smells and looks of a bygone era, when exhaustion fumes were fancy, and sharing a platform with the bus was acceptable. However, we are in 2012, the 21st century, such a futuristic date for such a prehistoric central bus station.
Our politicians have been thinking hard on how to "fancify" anything else in the city, while this station, that has been needing of a refurbishment and complete transformation since ever, remains untouched. Where do my taxes go? Is anybody thinking about Perth public bus users?
The station is too linear, the services provided to the customer little and not very good, and the platform system badly designed. There is a small information office that works OK, some benches for you to seat if you are lucky to get there when they are empty, and the bus platforms. Those are very useful....You have to cross the bus roads to move between platforms, which is never good if you are in a hurry to catch your bus, (OMG it is leaving in 10 microseconds!!!), and you can't because there are two big buses obtruding your way or moving your way, or the pedestrian crossing area is in the opposite direction of your bus stop.
The small range of shops (mostly fast food/coffee, newsagent, chemist, etc.) don't contribute to brighten up the station, and share their ugliness with the rest of the area.
The Station needs to be refurbished and reorganised and provide the customer with screens showing buses departing, platforms from where they are departing, and time for the next one to depart, so you don't need to expend your time at the Information office asking about this if you don't know, and you can decide whether waiting for your next bus or taking an alternative way of transport. It is not rocket science, move 500 metres and the train station is another world. There should be an enclosed waiting area so you don't have to stand the heat of summer or the heavy rain of winter in a semi-open area. The platforms should be completely remade.
The Bus system in Perth seems to be secondary in the mind of our Politicians. Wellington Bus Station is a proof of it.
