Bus fare refund - driver caused accident

Rossy.

tripled wrote: »

With an attitude like that, no wonder people getting on your bus thought you were an !!!hole and treated you like s!!t.

Without ever doing the job you make a massive assumption

I drove for 8-9 hours a day through central london where most people couldn't even be bothered to look at the big bright lettering stating the destination.

Call me what you like but you don't know how hard driving a bus actually is

Sure out of London i suppose it's a doddle, but London is a different kettle of fish

photome

Rossy. wrote: »

Without ever doing the job you make a massive assumption

I drove for 8-9 hours a day through central london where most people couldn't even be bothered to look at the big bright lettering stating the destination.

Call me what you like but you don't know how hard driving a bus actually is

Sure out of London i suppose it's a doddle, but London is a different kettle of fish

I doubt that, any city has the same cross section of people , traffic, and running time issues

Dont make assumptions.

I do still agree with you about the 5 1/2 hour driving though

tripled

Rossy. wrote: »

Without ever doing the job you make a massive assumption

I drove for 8-9 hours a day through central london where most people couldn't even be bothered to look at the big bright lettering stating the destination.

Call me what you like but you don't know how hard driving a bus actually is

Sure out of London i suppose it's a doddle, but London is a different kettle of fish

I never said I don't think driving a bus is an easy job. I actually think they are underpaid for what they do. If you read my responses I tried to put across the reasons why the bus driver may not have been out of order, although I also gave the OP relevant advice if they really felt they had been mistreated. My point was that if you have a bad attitude, people will respond to that. Yes, there will always be some idiots out there, regardless of your attitude, but not all are, and many will respond to the attitude of the person they are dealing with. I've spent many years in customer service, been there, done that, got the t-shirt. But even when I was really down and bored with one job, and fed up with dealing people, I won't say that I was never an !!!! with the more difficult ones, but I wouldn't go as far as a statement that all the customers I dealt with are "dimwits".

Ironically enough, I applied for a job on the buses in Cardiff at that time, but turned down the interview because I couldn't afford the pay cut.

I currently get the buses to get to work every day, and personally I always make the effort to say hello to the driver when I get on board and thank them when I get off. I don't just flick my pass and walk on by.

photome

tripled wrote: »

I never said I don't think driving a bus is an easy job. I actually think they are underpaid for what they do. If you read my responses I tried to put across the reasons why the bus driver may not have been out of order, although I also gave the OP relevant advice if they really felt they had been mistreated. My point was that if you have a bad attitude, people will respond to that. Yes, there will always be some idiots out there, regardless of your attitude, but not all are, and many will respond to the attitude of the person they are dealing with. I've spent many years in customer service, been there, done that, got the t-shirt. But even when I was really down and bored with one job, and fed up with dealing people, I won't say that I was never an !!!! with the more difficult ones, but I wouldn't go as far as a statement that all the customers I dealt with are "dimwits".

Ironically enough, I applied for a job on the buses in Cardiff at that time, but turned down the interview because I couldn't afford the pay cut.

I currently get the buses to get to work every day, and personally I always make the effort to say hello to the driver when I get on board and thank them when I get off. I don't just flick my pass and walk on by.

As an ex bus driver I would have apreciated that, I always made the effort to say thank you back ( I know some drivers dont)

2eZero

I would say that the bus driver was competent to a particular skill level as he got his PCV (Passenger Carrying Vehicle) entitlement and is more than likely a CPC (Certificate of Professional Competency) holder too. Whilst you may think those are 'big words' they do also mean that the driver has been trained to a higher standard. The latter, the CPC, means the driver also gets periodic training to keep his licence.

However, on the day to day setup, the stresses of the road do have a profound effect on professional drivers as it is quite stressful out there. For example, other traffic, passengers, time tables, running times, company rules and regulations.

The driver at the time felt that the manoeuvre could be made safely and securely and for whatever reason that failed to happen. In such instances both vehicles would pull over and exchange details, the driver of the bus would take photographs at the scene and later in the day would need to make a written report of the damage caused, the information and any witnesses that would be dealt with by management. It would not be 'just forgotten' as the damage would come to light and the drivers would be questioned over it.

After such an incident the bus driver would be feeling stressed and possibly depressed over the stressful incident so anything you would have said to him in the negative form would have brought out an even negative reply. You may have got a better response if you'd said something like 'never mind driver, s**t happens, etc'.

As for making a complaint, well, the driver doesn't have to give you his name. If you record the date, time and bus number and coupled with a description of driver and if necessary the registration number then the company can trace those details. When I say the driver doesn't have to give you his name, this is usually agreed by the bus company, the union at the bus company and at times, the police. Security & Safety of the driver is the reason why.

2eZero

Gandalfthesecond wrote: »

They are only allowed to drive for nine hours and 10 hours twice a week so should not be on regular 12 days.

Ahh, I think you are in the mistaken belief that UK Bus drivers operate within the EU drivers hours.

'Vehicles used for the carriage of passengers on regular services with a route that does not exceed 50km'

This is the relevant clause that allows most bus operators to use UK Domestic Hours for their drivers.

This means the drivers can drive for 5.5 hours (continuous) before a break of 30 minutes is required. They can then drive for a further 4.5 hours before the duty has finished with a maximum of 10 hours driving a day. If the duty is more than 8.5 hours long then the rest period must be at least 45 minutes long.

If the vehicle breaks down, or there is an incident that delays that driver so that it passes 5.5 hours before he can get his break he can then be relieved of duty as he is 'RTA' which means he is 'out of hours' under the Road Traffic Act. The driver also can work 13 days out every 14.

Coach & Trucks operating with tachographs would be using EU hours which are a bit nicer on the driver, as you've stated above.

The information is available online in the usual resources, but as a new user I am unable to link to that information

2eZero

dzug1 wrote: »

Really?? There are quite a few routes round here where buses reverse en route (with passengers on board). No supervision

Some buses these days have reversing cameras. Some managers of bus companies do authorise their drivers to reverse when it is necessary to complete the route.

biggrizz wrote: »

I also am a pcv driver and you can only drive for 4.5 hours before you must have a 45 mins break. The break can be split in that you can take a 15 min break in the 4.5 hour driving period but you must then take the final 30 mins as soon as your driving time is finished.

As previously said, EU & UK Domestic hours are slightly different. Coaches and routes that pass the 50km rule are on tachographs and thus EU regs.

Rossy. wrote: »

Without ever doing the job you make a massive assumption

I drove for 8-9 hours a day through central london where most people couldn't even be bothered to look at the big bright lettering stating the destination.

Call me what you like but you don't know how hard driving a bus actually is

Sure out of London i suppose it's a doddle, but London is a different kettle of fish

Oh I'd think most cities have their own problems, and being a 'Professional Driver' managing any large vehicle, the route and cargo, live or not means that you've got to think and plan for other road users too. Even the OP stated that they do not drive. It is a very stressful job and there is usually someone there who wants to complain...

And the pay is pretty low across the board isn't it £8ph in the Midlands, for example. It is no wonder the drivers have to max out on overtime just to survive!

thelawnet

photome wrote: »

On what grounds could he refuse this passenger travel and why would the police get involved.

Call to police..."can you attend as I dont want to let this guy on my bus because he reported me"

I dont think so.

Of course a driver can refuse a passenger but not this one for this reason and not just because he feels like it which is what you are suggesting.

I spent 13 years driving buses so do have first hand experience

You get some real idiots driving buses, they can do what they like. A few years back I was on a bus and had a travelcard oyster card but it didn't work on the bus's reader. He refused to believe me and said I had to pay, I said I had no cash on me and in any case I had a valid ticket, so he just stopped the bus with a couple of dozen people on it, and said he was calling the police. Just sat there on the bus. After about 10 minutes another bus came along so I got on that one where my ticket worked perfectly.

Rossy.

thelawnet wrote: »

You get some real idiots driving buses, they can do what they like. A few years back I was on a bus and had a travelcard oyster card but it didn't work on the bus's reader. He refused to believe me and said I had to pay, I said I had no cash on me and in any case I had a valid ticket, so he just stopped the bus with a couple of dozen people on it, and said he was calling the police. Just sat there on the bus. After about 10 minutes another bus came along so I got on that one where my ticket worked perfectly.

Thats perfectly right

TFL or London Buses own all ticket machine/oyster reader equiptment.

If the Oyster machine fails then the passenger is required to pay a cash fare. If a revenue official boarded the bus, not only would you of been given a FPN, but also the company would have been fined £250 for allowing you to travel

The driver carried out the procedure that they are taught to follow.

boyse7en

Bus route near me is a dead-end on a housing estate, and the bus has to do a three-point turn to go back towards town, so I can't see how reversing a bus on the road without supervison would be illegal. They do it at least 10 times a day, seven days a week.