I'm not tarring all bus drivers with the same brush. As in all groups it's
always the exceptions that get the publicity, and those exceptions are the
ones that get people's backs up.

I agree with you about the pushchairs. Maybe the technology involved in
folding a pushchair is just too much for the average young mum ;-) I
remember my mum rushing to fold my sister's chair as the old RF on the 236
hove into view. And the practiced balancing act with the toddler, the
shopping and the chair climbing those 2 steep steps at the front of the bus!
In those days the chairs didn't fold down as efficiently or as small as
modern ones.

In defence of "lazy" or "stupid" young mum's with pushchairs. As the
above says. Its impossible to look after a kid, get on a bus and fold
a pushchair all at the same time while everyone on the bus is tutting
about the amount of time the mother is taking. Buses that kneel down
to the curb (when the driver bothers to stop within a one mile raduis
of the curb of course) and buses that have ramps are great ideas.
Wheelchair spaces are very good for making public transport accessible
for all but buses aren't exactly crammed with wheelchairs. So
providing that space for a baby able to stay in a parm/pushchair is a
much better idea than providing space for a wheelchair.
Where I come from I remember when I was young buses waiting for ages
while the bus driver got out to help some helpless mother fold her
pushchair and put it in the luggage bit while the mother carried or
hung on to her child. They now have a small number of buses with
wheelchair spaces and the mother simply ups the wheels of the
pushchair pushes it up onto the bus pays her fare and slides it into
the space. Much easier.

"Redonda" wrote in message ...
Do bus drivers get *any* sort of training in how to deal with the public?
This is an article from this week's East London Advertiser:

There is a nationwide shortage of bus drivers. Most bus companies are
busy recuirting for bus drivers. Combined with stressful driving
condtions in London makes it hard to recurit bus drivers.
Hence the reason why a majority of bus drivers have absoutley no
customer service skills. If there was a lot more people applying then
maybe they could take on more people with customer service skills.
At the end of the day you have to decide whether you want a lot of bus
drivers with only some of them having good customer service skills. Or
a shortage of bus drivers but those we do have, having good customer
service skills.
I think most people in London as long as the bus stops at their stop
they are happy.

In defence of "lazy" or "stupid" young mum's with pushchairs. As the
above says. Its impossible to look after a kid, get on a bus and fold
a pushchair all at the same time while everyone on the bus is tutting
about the amount of time the mother is taking. Buses that kneel down
to the curb (when the driver bothers to stop within a one mile raduis
of the curb of course) and buses that have ramps are great ideas.
Wheelchair spaces are very good for making public transport accessible
for all but buses aren't exactly crammed with wheelchairs. So
providing that space for a baby able to stay in a parm/pushchair is a
much better idea than providing space for a wheelchair.
Where I come from I remember when I was young buses waiting for ages
while the bus driver got out to help some helpless mother fold her
pushchair and put it in the luggage bit while the mother carried or
hung on to her child. They now have a small number of buses with
wheelchair spaces and the mother simply ups the wheels of the
pushchair pushes it up onto the bus pays her fare and slides it into
the space. Much easier.



As I said earlier, I have no problem with having pushchairs on my bus, but
officially we can carry ONE open. Most of the drivers I know will carry 2 (as
they will fit into the wheelchair bay), what really p*sses me off is when u get
groups of 3 or 4 together and they all expect to get in without folding their
pushchairs.

If we were to let them on they block up the isle making it impossible to load
other passengers up.

Of course should a wheelchair user then wish to board, we have to tell these
people with pushchairs to fold them as a wheelchair takes priority.

In this situation the abuse that is given to a driver is violent. I,
personally, would rather take the abuse from a Nightbus full of drunks, than
from 2 women asked to fold down their pushchairs. Maybe that is just life in SW
london.

On 17 Feb 2004 06:37:34 -0800, (CJG Now
Thankfully Living In The North) wrote:

In defence of "lazy" or "stupid" young mum's with pushchairs. As the
above says. Its impossible to look after a kid, get on a bus and fold
a pushchair all at the same time while everyone on the bus is tutting
about the amount of time the mother is taking.

eh? How did I get brought up then?

Seemed to have been quite possible for my mother 32 years ago.

"Robert Woolley" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 12:21:25 -0000, "Redonda"
wrote:

tim wrote:
"Redonda" wrote in message
...


They are now consulting with bus operators on the routes he travels.
/Endquote

why are they only bothering to fix the problem on the route
he uses.

shouldn't they be fixing it *everywhere*

tim

Probably for the same reason that bus fare increases are being used to
make
up the revenue loss from the Congestion Zone instead of the CZ paying for
better and cheaper public transport.

Congestion charging is generating cash, not as much as originally
forecast.

And yes. Charging revenue is supporting the bus service.

Service is clearly falling short in some areas, but there is a
recognised customer service training programme:

This refers to the service controllers element
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/press-re...ress-918.shtml


But note:

he BTEC qualification is compulsory for all new bus drivers,
conductors and all service controllers. The qualifications follow a
structured training programme over 3-6 month period. Bus Driver BTEC
is equivalent to NVQ level 2 and Service Controllers BTEC to NVQ Level


Jeez !

They'll be teaching them to drive SAFELY next !

Yes Dave G U are on the Money.
The entire reason for this type of vehicle was to facilitate the DISABLED
who were seriously disadvantaged in relation to using public Bus services.
The attitude of a sizeable number of persons in charge of Pushchairs is now
making it every bit as difficult for genuinely disabled people to use the
Bus service.
Our rule is equally simple,ONE occupied Buggy when the space is NOT required
for a WHEELCHAIR.
Commonsense,Safety,and the interests of EVERYBODY on the bus dictates that.
Posession of an Infant and Buggy is NOT carte blanche for selfish ignorant
behaviour either ON the Bus OR at the stop.
I for example will scan a stop as I approach and if,as is the norm,the Buggy
Pusher suddenly darts out from a shopfront or suchlike I will have NO
hesitation in stopping them in their tracks and making them join the Q
behind everybody else.
On rare occasions I have had to resort to using the Ferrylift to RAISE the
step in order to re-inforce this simple principle.
Commonsense is the key to safety and particularly where infants are
concerned.

On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 14:56:29 -0000, "Alek" wrote:

Yes Dave G U are on the Money.
The entire reason for this type of vehicle was to facilitate the DISABLED
who were seriously disadvantaged in relation to using public Bus services.
The attitude of a sizeable number of persons in charge of Pushchairs is now
making it every bit as difficult for genuinely disabled people to use the
Bus service.
Our rule is equally simple,ONE occupied Buggy when the space is NOT required
for a WHEELCHAIR.
Commonsense,Safety,and the interests of EVERYBODY on the bus dictates that.
Posession of an Infant and Buggy is NOT carte blanche for selfish ignorant
behaviour either ON the Bus OR at the stop.
I for example will scan a stop as I approach and if,as is the norm,the Buggy
Pusher suddenly darts out from a shopfront or suchlike I will have NO
hesitation in stopping them in their tracks and making them join the Q
behind everybody else.
On rare occasions I have had to resort to using the Ferrylift to RAISE the
step in order to re-inforce this simple principle.
Commonsense is the key to safety and particularly where infants are
concerned.

Could I ask what is the situation when the bus is neigh on full when
arriving at a stop, so that already there is not sufficient room for a
disabled passenger to board?

Are some able bodied passengers asked to leave or is the disabled out
of luck?

Keith J Chesworth
www.unseenlondon.co.uk
www.blackpooltram.co.uk
www.happysnapper.com
www.boilerbill.com - main site
www.amerseyferry.co.uk

On the general subject of bus driver training,
I believe the old London Transport bus training depot at Chiswick had a
world-wide reputation. I remember thinking "gee whiz!" watching somebody doing
wheelies with a double-decker in the skid-pans.
Where do bus drivers train now, especially as there are so many different
operators?

Could I ask what is the situation when the bus is neigh on full when
arriving at a stop, so that already there is not sufficient room for a
disabled passenger to board?

Are some able bodied passengers asked to leave or is the disabled out
of luck?

AFAIK the low floor buses are to provide EQUAL travel rights for disabled
passengers.

Therefore in my experience if I am driving a bus which is full and a wheelchair
user wishes to board, then they have the same right as any other passenger.
They have the right to wait for the next bus.

(Not being nasty just realistic) :-)

On 22 Feb 2004 16:29:37 GMT, (DaveG73) wrote:


Could I ask what is the situation when the bus is neigh on full when
arriving at a stop, so that already there is not sufficient room for a
disabled passenger to board?

Are some able bodied passengers asked to leave or is the disabled out
of luck?

AFAIK the low floor buses are to provide EQUAL travel rights for disabled
passengers.

Therefore in my experience if I am driving a bus which is full and a wheelchair
user wishes to board, then they have the same right as any other passenger.
They have the right to wait for the next bus.

(Not being nasty just realistic) :-)

Fair nuff :-)
Keith J Chesworth
www.unseenlondon.co.uk
www.blackpooltram.co.uk
www.happysnapper.com
www.boilerbill.com - main site
www.amerseyferry.co.uk