Most Hated Transit System

"Ever since the government launched the new transit system in February, commuters have found their daily journeys to work disrupted, their metro trains overcrowded and their roads clogged with traffic."

"The government had planned to modify the system but, nearly a year on, it has only succeeded in botching the job. One transport minister has been sacked and another is picking up the pieces, as the transit system is losing over $1 million a day. Transantiago — possibly the most hated word in the Chilean lexicon — is a classic case of a good idea wrecked in the implementation."

"The problem is that there are simply not enough new buses to meet demand — 8,000 old ones were replaced by around 5,500 of the new ones — which has meant long lines, overcrowding and frayed tempers."

"The launch of the new routes was poorly publicised, leaving passengers confused. The government opted for a "big bang" approach: Six million Santiaguinos took their last bus-ride home on February 9 in one transport system, and then were expected to find their way to work and school on February 10 in an entirely new one. Wisdom of hindsight suggests incremental changes may have been less traumatic."