Relying on the Bus in Canberra

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After the morning's commute of 10km that, time-wise, was the equivalent of travelling from Penrith to Sydney, I thought I should take stock and reflect on the journey. It was obvious that traffic congestion on Gundaroo Drive may have had something to do with it, especially during Canberra's "peak moment".

But this evening, after staying back at work to participate in some of the many O Week activities, the bus journey home proved that things have simply gotten worse.

So at 7:30pm, as I walked to the bus stop on Hayden Drive, I watched, from 40 metres away, as the No. 250 sailed on by. No problems, it arrives every 15 minutes. Apparently.

At about 8:00pm, the next No. 250 arrives. By 8:15pm, I am at the Gungahlin Interchange.

But the No. 56, the only bus that goes to Palmerston (which used to go from Belconnen to Gungahlin), now starts at Gungahlin. At about 8:30pm, the number 56 arrives. It drops me off at my stop by about 8:45pm. 

No peak moment traffic, no nothing. But 15 minutes slower than this morning's trip during "peak moment".

Is my complaint unjustified? Is it really that improbable that more than one person needs to get from Belconnen to Palmerston, one of Canberra's most densely populated suburbs?

It is so bad that if I didn't find it a useful time to get through my reading list while sitting on the bus, I would probably move to Sydney so my commute time was not so onerous!