passenger safety on double deckers

Jeff_Bridges_hair

mikey72 wrote: »

And if it isn't?




With the seatbelt light on, and after being asked to sit down?

If you want to be pedantic then the poster never mentioned anything about any certain time did they. It was an open question/statement.

mikey72

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

If you want to be pedantic then the poster never mentioned anything about any certain time did they. It was an open question/statement.

What time of day are you allowed to ignore a request to use a seat on a bus, or not to sit on the stairs?
Or to run a bus so full passengers have to sit on the floor?

I don't mind either way though.
I've been there with school buses, VOSA fixed it, so it's back to the op to do as they see fit.

harz99

mikey72 wrote: »

The bus driver is responsible.
If the passengers refuse to travel correctly, he is obliged to stop the bus in a place of safety, and take whatever action is required.
If they can't travel correctly, he is at fault for letting them onto the bus knowing that.

"Not my fault guvnor" won't hold water.

Do you ever read fully what posters are saying!

For the last time - when a bus/coach is IN MOTION it is not the drivers job to police the behaviour or actions of the passengers!!

The driver should only concern themselves with driving whilst in motion, not what is going on above or behind him/her. To do so would be foolhardy and extremely dangerous especially on a busy D/C or M/Way.

Why do you think that buses have a sign beside or behind the driver forbidding passengers to speak to the driver whilst the bus is in motion!!!

Your advice to call VOSA is unhelpful at the stage the OP is at.

Firstly the OP should find out the facts regarding capacity/safety from the bus operator, then the appropriate Council/LEA/College for their version, and when the full facts are then known, consider whether or not any transgression of the rules needs enforcement. That is the point at which to involve VOSA or the (Eastern Area) Traffic Commissioner.

harz99

mikey72 wrote: »

?
Or to run a bus so full passengers have to sit on the floor?

Thats a really silly comment to make.

The OP is talking about a double deck bus designed to carry standing passengers; nobody is forced to sit on the floor, if there are no vacant seats they stand downstairs and hold the grab rails.

Which incidentally will take up less room than sitting sprawled on the floors.

harz99

mikey72 wrote: »

If they can't travel correctly, he is at fault for letting them onto the bus knowing that.

Another really silly comment; unless the driver has a crystal ball or is a mind reader he/she cannot possibly "know" any such thing.

harz99

mikey72 wrote: »

"Not my fault guvnor" won't hold water.

No, but "I was concentrating on driving my vehicle safely and so ensuring the comfort and safety of my passengers and other road users" will.

One person in charge of a bus or coach in motion cannot perform the functions of a conductor and a driver together at the same time.

That is an unfortunate effect of one person operation, but that is yet another debate for another time and not relevant to this thread.

SteveJW

As a local authority we operate home to school transport

Drivers tell me of instances were they tell the students to put on the seatbelts, as they drive off they hear the click of the seat belts being undone.
They cannot physically put the seat belts back on, accusations of assault etc
They cannot refuse to carry the students
They cannot eject them from the bus

See
http://www.schoolbus.org.uk/index.asp?pageid=176317
We are still waiting for the government to change the law to make it compulsory for children over 3 years old to wear seat belts on coaches & buses that have them fitted.
At this present time the law only applies to passengers 14 years and older.

The delay is caused by applying the law to young children, & is total uncertain about who would be legally responsible.

It could not be the child passenger, it would be dangerous to make the bus driver legally responsible for ensuring that an 8 year old child in row 19 has his seat belt on.
The driver has to concentrate on driving

mikey72

SteveJW wrote: »

As a local authority we operate home to school transport.............See
http://www.schoolbus.org.uk/index.asp?pageid=176317
...........

missed a good bit for the op, but a good link.

"If your child is standing on a school bus, you can complain , you can ask you local authority what their safety assessment is for this procedure, [ they must have a written safety assessment for this ] as in - How safe do they think this is, a child standing with school bags etc.- What would happen if the bus were to suddenly brake, how is your child protected-What happens to your child plus their bag which in fact become a a weapon to other passengers.

You can contact your local councillor & your Mp or Msp & ask for support in this.Contact your local media , they love a story to fill part of a page."

Actually, now that reminds me, we also got the local MP on it.
He had a go a the council, VOSA had the bus company.

harz99

Mikey72; resorting to childish amendments in quotes won't make you right.

mikey72

You don't have the problem, so in all honestly I must admit I don't really care what you think about it.
The op can phone VOSA, they'll help or they won't. If you object so much, maybe they will decide not to bother, based on your knowledge of the procedure to licence school buses, and who is responsible for the safety of the kids.
Maybe you personally would be happy with the situation, who knows. I wasn't, they fixed it. If you can say you did the same, and they told you not to, fair enough.
But again, I really don't care either way at the end of the day.