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:

/Quote
BUS ATTITUDE NOT QUITE THE TICKET.

Bus drivers are ignoring a wheelchair-bound East Ender and refusing to lower
ramps which allow him to get on board.

Pensioner John Clarke, 65, who lives on Mile End Road had his leg amputated
in June 2003. He said: "I don't like going out any more," adding that:
"Taxis are more sympathetic, but they're so expensive".

Mr Clarke, a diabetic, protested to Bethnal Green and Bow MP Oona King - a
move which won him an apology from London Buses.

MP Oona said: "It's important that we encourage disabled pensioners like Mr
Clarke to retain their independence. Drivers must be properly trained and
supported in using ramps."

All the bus routes Mr Clarke complained about have 'easy access' low floors,
specially designed for wheelchair users, and are fitted with ramps that can
be lowered when necessary, London Buses admitted this week.

They are now consulting with bus operators on the routes he travels.
/Endquote
--
Phil ,,,^.".^,,,


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"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

--
Phil ,,,^.".^,,,


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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.

Taxation in all its guises is the *only* priority for HMG and its local
cohorts. Obviously giving access to disabled people is time consuming, time
costs money, etc. and round we go again in the Circle Game!!
--
Phil ,,,^.".^,,,


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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
3. The BTEC is part of a national framework of industry vocational
qualifications externally assessed by Edexcel.
The areas that will benefit from the BTEC trained staff will be
Sutton, Wimbeldon, Morden, Bexleyheath, New Cross, the City, Fulham,
Putney, Vauxhall, Wandsworth and Streatham.


- being rolled out all over London.

--
rob at robertwoolley dot co dot uk

"Redonda" wrote in
:

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:

/Quote
BUS ATTITUDE NOT QUITE THE TICKET.

Bus drivers are ignoring a wheelchair-bound East Ender and refusing to
lower ramps which allow him to get on board.

Pensioner John Clarke, 65, who lives on Mile End Road had his leg
amputated in June 2003. He said: "I don't like going out any more,"
adding that: "Taxis are more sympathetic, but they're so expensive".

Mr Clarke, a diabetic, protested to Bethnal Green and Bow MP Oona King
- a move which won him an apology from London Buses.

MP Oona said: "It's important that we encourage disabled pensioners
like Mr Clarke to retain their independence. Drivers must be properly
trained and supported in using ramps."

Surely the training needed is for the recruiters to determine the ******s
and not recruit them

"Redonda" wrote in message
...
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.

Taxation in all its guises is the *only* priority for HMG and its local
cohorts. Obviously giving access to disabled people is time consuming,
time
costs money, etc. and round we go again in the Circle Game!!

But AIUI the cost of the equipment in the buses has been spent.
What was missing was some common sense by the Bus operator
to actually decide to instruct their drivers to use it.

tim


,,,


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tim wrote:

But AIUI the cost of the equipment in the buses has been spent.
What was missing was some common sense by the Bus operator
to actually decide to instruct their drivers to use it.

tim

Yes the equipment *is* in place - I actually meant the time and expense to
train the drivers to use it and how to deal with members of the public,
especially the disabled who, through no fault of their own, may hold the bus
up for longer than able-bodied people while getting on and off.

TfL's training initiative is all very well but surely it would be
unnecessary if drivers had been trained in more than just the mechanics of
driving a bus at the recruitment stage. People-management and diplomacy are
even more important now that busses are used by more than just the 'Great
Unwashed' (those who couldn't afford a car) since the introduction of
Congestion Charges.
--
Phil ,,,^.".^,,,


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Steve wrote:
"Redonda" wrote in
:

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:

/Quote
BUS ATTITUDE NOT QUITE THE TICKET.

Bus drivers are ignoring a wheelchair-bound East Ender and refusing
to lower ramps which allow him to get on board.

Pensioner John Clarke, 65, who lives on Mile End Road had his leg
amputated in June 2003. He said: "I don't like going out any more,"
adding that: "Taxis are more sympathetic, but they're so expensive".

Mr Clarke, a diabetic, protested to Bethnal Green and Bow MP Oona
King - a move which won him an apology from London Buses.

MP Oona said: "It's important that we encourage disabled pensioners
like Mr Clarke to retain their independence. Drivers must be properly
trained and supported in using ramps."

Surely the training needed is for the recruiters to determine the
******s and not recruit them

Unfortunately the question "Are you an antisocial ******?" is probably not
on the application form.
--
Phil ,,,^.".^,,,


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Please dont tar us all with the same brush.
I for one am quite happy to lower my ramp for a wheelchair user, particularly
when it means upsetting some woman with a baby in a pushchair, who seems to
think that they have a right to use the bus ahead of everyone else, despite the
fact that there is limited space for the storage of unfolded pushchairs.

Please don't take this as a hatred of people with pushchairs, the majority of
them are reasonable people, however, the small minority really grey the area
for me.

They really should appreciate the fact that they are lucky to have low floor
easy access buses, where I come from originally maybe 1 in 10 buses have this
facility, so perhaps unsurprisingly, people actually fold up their pushchairs
to get on buses.

DaveG73 wrote:
Please dont tar us all with the same brush.
I for one am quite happy to lower my ramp for a wheelchair user,
particularly when it means upsetting some woman with a baby in a
pushchair, who seems to think that they have a right to use the bus
ahead of everyone else, despite the fact that there is limited space
for the storage of unfolded pushchairs.

Please don't take this as a hatred of people with pushchairs, the
majority of them are reasonable people, however, the small minority
really grey the area for me.

They really should appreciate the fact that they are lucky to have
low floor easy access buses, where I come from originally maybe 1 in
10 buses have this facility, so perhaps unsurprisingly, people
actually fold up their pushchairs to get on buses.

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.
--
Phil ,,,^.".^,,,


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