Valentine’s Day is traditionally reserved for roses, chocolates, and romantic dinners. But here at Optibus, our hearts beat for something a little different: public transportation.
While our days are spent iterating on the future of transit and AI-powered technology that helps move millions of passengers across the globe, we never lose sight of the personal connections many of us share with the transit systems that move us.
This year, I asked members of our team to write short letters about the role public transportation has played in their lives. They responded with thoughtful reflections and genuine appreciation for both the services and the people who keep them running.
Freedom, Even on the Way to Your Wedding
When I asked Shaked Ofek, a Software Developer at Optibus, who took the bus to his own wedding, he described public transportation as follows:
“Public transit is freedom. When planned and operated well, public transit lets us live better, flexible and easy lives. You don’t need to worry about parking your car, or if you have a way to get home. You don’t spend money on taxis or call for your parents to pick you up.
When public transit works well, you have more options to work, learn, and spend time with your loved ones. You don’t even need to worry how to get to your own wedding - just hop on a bus.”
— Shaked Ofek
Reliability, Even in a New City
Harleen Mullhi, a Customer Success Manager at Optibus, shared a similar perspective. For her, buses and trains have helped her explore new places, including Japan, where she captured a photo of the tracks unfolding ahead of her.
“Public transportation has been integral to my life - from travelling in new cities to getting around my local towns. It has provided us with safety and reliability, whether that be touring around, or needing to get to work on time in the morning or heading home after a night out. Buses and trains have offered me a safe and cost effective way to expand my horizons. So much goes on behind the scenes to make transit function and I am truly honoured to play a very, very small part in our client’s success. Thank you to global public transit for all the work you do.”
— Harleen Mullhi
Bringing Joy at the Station
Leila Hawa, an Implementations Engineer, shared her appreciation for the New York MTA, which gets her where she needs to go safely, quickly, and sometimes artfully.
“New York runs on the MTA! Thank you for getting us where we need to go safely, quickly and even sometimes artfully! I don’t pass through or get off at this subway station often, but when I do the mosaic Weimaraners always bring me joy and brighten my day.”
— Leila Hawa
Gratitude for the People Behind the Service
Another Implementations Engineer, Kallista Wilson, added a note of appreciation for the human effort behind public transportation.
“I rely on public transit for most of my travel. I am so grateful to all the many people working tirelessly to provide this essential public service. I don’t know what I would do without you!”
— Kallista Wilson
Trusting the Yellow Buses of Manchester
When I think of public transportation, I think of the yellow buses of Manchester that I learned to trust as a newcomer to the city. For me, a place does not truly feel like home until I have mastered its transit routes. Between hopping on the 41, 142, and 43 buses that ran between Manchester Airport and the city centre, I began to appreciate the reliability that made daily life possible.
“You were how I figured the city out. How I got to work, to friends, to nights that felt bigger than they probably were. You made a place that felt overwhelming at first, start to feel navigable, familiar, mine.
Most days, you didn’t feel special. You were just there. And that was the point. You showed up early, late, and on weekends that ran differently. You made plans feel possible without asking for attention in return.
I didn’t think much about schedules back then. I just assumed you’d work. Only later did I understand how much care it takes for that assumption to hold.
So this is a thank you. For the ordinary reliability, for the quiet role you played in shaping my days, and for being there on the nights when getting home really mattered.”
— Idongesit Inuk, Social Media & Content Specialist
Seeing the Work Behind the Wheels
Abigail Levner, our Head of PR & Communications reflected on the moment her perspective on transit changed. It came after visiting the First Bus Chelmsford depot, where drivers, planners, schedulers, and managers work together to create, manage, and operate services.
“Visiting a bus depot is a great way to see all the hard work required to run public transport. It was what gave me a deep appreciation for transit and all the people that plan and operate it. I also love all the fun details in transport hubs, like this beautiful clock from the London Tube. Public transport is full of lovely surprises like this.”
— Abigail Levner
A View from the Top Deck
Our CEO and Co-founder, Amos Haggiag, shares his favorite spot in England’s capital city.
“To the front row, top deck. You are still the best way to see London. From up here, the city looks different - quiet, clean, and moving perfectly. There is a special kind of pride in riding a bus that was planned using the technology and team I love. It’s one thing to see the efficiency on our screens; it’s another to sit back on an electric bus and enjoy the smooth, silent journey our partners deliver in the real world. Thank you for proving that the journey can be just as beautiful as the destination.
Happy Valentine's Day to the teams moving London forward.”
Thank You, From All of Us
For many of us at Optibus, public transportation has been more than a way to get from one place to another. It has been a source of independence, reliability, opportunity, and even quiet joy.
This Valentine’s Day, we extend our gratitude to the people who plan, operate, and support public transportation systems around the world. Thank you for the care, coordination, and commitment that make everyday movement possible.
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