Ok last saturday my friend and I hopped on a bendy bus outside
Selfridges to go a few stops down Oxford Street to Poland street (She
had a bad leg we're not just lazy!)

However when we got to Oxford circus the rest of the street was blocked
off and the bus was sent on a diversion down Regent street. Fine we
thought we'll get off at the next stop. However three stops later and
no sign of the bus stopping my friend started getting very anxious
(This is when I found out she was a bit claustrophobic) Anyway she
asked the driver if we could get off at the next stop but he refused
saying he wasnt allowed to stop at any stop on the diversion. She was
then joined by heavily pregnant woman who also needed to get off but
still the driver said he couldnt let anyone off and he said he had
disabled the emergancy door releases.

After a lot more harranging he eventually opened the doors on
Shaftsbury Avenue about twenty minutes after the diversion had started.

Now I know drivers cant let people off anywhere other than the official
stops but surely thats not applicable where a bus is on diversion?
Basically we were forced to stay on the bus againest our will for
twenty minutes as it had got caught up in the regent st traffic.

I got off the bus feeling very self rightous but what are peoples
thoughts on this?

kytelly wrote:
Ok last saturday my friend and I hopped on a bendy bus outside
Selfridges to go a few stops down Oxford Street to Poland street (She
had a bad leg we're not just lazy!)

However when we got to Oxford circus the rest of the street was blocked
off and the bus was sent on a diversion down Regent street. Fine we
thought we'll get off at the next stop. However three stops later and
no sign of the bus stopping my friend started getting very anxious
(This is when I found out she was a bit claustrophobic) Anyway she
asked the driver if we could get off at the next stop but he refused
saying he wasnt allowed to stop at any stop on the diversion. She was
then joined by heavily pregnant woman who also needed to get off but
still the driver said he couldnt let anyone off and he said he had
disabled the emergancy door releases.

After a lot more harranging he eventually opened the doors on
Shaftsbury Avenue about twenty minutes after the diversion had started.

Now I know drivers cant let people off anywhere other than the official
stops but surely thats not applicable where a bus is on diversion?
Basically we were forced to stay on the bus againest our will for
twenty minutes as it had got caught up in the regent st traffic.

I got off the bus feeling very self rightous but what are peoples
thoughts on this?

Each diversion seems to have its own rules. I've also got stuck on a bus
using that diversion, which is frustrating when you're sitting in
traffic and realise that you could have walked past the diversion more
quickly.

Other times, drivers *are* allowed to serve stops on diversion; this
happened with the Battersea Bridge closure when some 49s were diverted
via Wandsworth Bridge, and when Broad Sanctuary in Westminster was
closed for roadworks and buses were diverted along Artillery Road.

My guess at the reasoning behind this is that on central London streets
with a lot of bus services and multiple stops per location, the
confusion in dropping off and picking up passengers can compound traffic
congestion and cause further delays to undiverted buses.

The driver was right to say he couldn't let you off because those were
the direction he had been given by TfL via his bus company. However, I'm
not sure about disabling the emergency door releases - that sounds a bit
drastic (because what if there were an emergency...?).

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

The driver was right to say he couldn't let you off because those were
the direction he had been given by TfL via his bus company. However, I'm
not sure about disabling the emergency door releases - that sounds a bit
drastic (because what if there were an emergency...?).


Is it actually possible - not only does such a button actually exist,
but even if it does, can he/she *legally* do it?
--
The presence of this signature shows that this message has been scanned
for misplaced apostrophes by the common sense scanner. However, some
apostrophes may not be included where required due to boredom, gross
negligence, budget cuts, incompetence, stupidity or just plain laziness.
http://www.railwaysonline.co.uk

Dave Arquati wrote:
kytelly wrote:
Ok last saturday my friend and I hopped on a bendy bus outside
Selfridges to go a few stops down Oxford Street to Poland street (She
had a bad leg we're not just lazy!)

However when we got to Oxford circus the rest of the street was blocked
off and the bus was sent on a diversion down Regent street. Fine we
thought we'll get off at the next stop. However three stops later and
no sign of the bus stopping my friend started getting very anxious
(This is when I found out she was a bit claustrophobic) Anyway she
asked the driver if we could get off at the next stop but he refused
saying he wasnt allowed to stop at any stop on the diversion. She was
then joined by heavily pregnant woman who also needed to get off but
still the driver said he couldnt let anyone off and he said he had
disabled the emergancy door releases.

After a lot more harranging he eventually opened the doors on
Shaftsbury Avenue about twenty minutes after the diversion had started.

Now I know drivers cant let people off anywhere other than the official
stops but surely thats not applicable where a bus is on diversion?
Basically we were forced to stay on the bus againest our will for
twenty minutes as it had got caught up in the regent st traffic.

I got off the bus feeling very self rightous but what are peoples
thoughts on this?

Each diversion seems to have its own rules. I've also got stuck on a bus
using that diversion, which is frustrating when you're sitting in
traffic and realise that you could have walked past the diversion more
quickly.

Other times, drivers *are* allowed to serve stops on diversion; this
happened with the Battersea Bridge closure when some 49s were diverted
via Wandsworth Bridge, and when Broad Sanctuary in Westminster was
closed for roadworks and buses were diverted along Artillery Road.

My guess at the reasoning behind this is that on central London streets
with a lot of bus services and multiple stops per location, the
confusion in dropping off and picking up passengers can compound traffic
congestion and cause further delays to undiverted buses.

The driver was right to say he couldn't let you off because those were
the direction he had been given by TfL via his bus company. However, I'm
not sure about disabling the emergency door releases - that sounds a bit
drastic (because what if there were an emergency...?).


I was in a suburb where a diversion took the buses down the parallel
main road to the usual one. My home was between the two main roads
(both of which had bus routes) so being let off in either main road
would do.

But I was forced all the way to the end of the diversion. This was not
a busy central London situation with lots of confused tourists, it was
just people with heavy shopping being abducted to somewhere difficult
to get home from.

Not very helpful or considerate. But it's all a bit academic now,
since the policy seems to be not to let people on or off at all, in the
interests of reliability.

Dave Arquati ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying :

However when we got to Oxford circus the rest of the street was blocked
off and the bus was sent on a diversion down Regent street. Fine we
thought we'll get off at the next stop. However three stops later and
no sign of the bus stopping my friend started getting very anxious
(This is when I found out she was a bit claustrophobic) Anyway she
asked the driver if we could get off at the next stop but he refused
saying he wasnt allowed to stop at any stop on the diversion. She was
then joined by heavily pregnant woman who also needed to get off but
still the driver said he couldnt let anyone off and he said he had
disabled the emergancy door releases.

Each diversion seems to have its own rules. I've also got stuck on a bus
using that diversion, which is frustrating when you're sitting in
traffic and realise that you could have walked past the diversion more
quickly.

Ah, if only there was such a thing as a bus with an open platform you could
just hop on and off as required...

Joe Patrick wrote:

Is it actually possible - not only does such a button actually exist,

No, but (assuming it wasn't a bendy, where I believe the releases
aren't just another door button but actually unlock something) the
driver could sit there and keep pressing the close button. I've seen
this done to stop kids getting on after messing with the release button
on the outside.

Neil

On 15 Aug 2006 02:54:55 -0700, "kytelly" wrote:

Ok last saturday my friend and I hopped on a bendy bus outside
Selfridges to go a few stops down Oxford Street to Poland street (She
had a bad leg we're not just lazy!)

However when we got to Oxford circus the rest of the street was blocked
off and the bus was sent on a diversion down Regent street. Fine we
thought we'll get off at the next stop. However three stops later and
no sign of the bus stopping my friend started getting very anxious
(This is when I found out she was a bit claustrophobic) Anyway she
asked the driver if we could get off at the next stop but he refused
saying he wasnt allowed to stop at any stop on the diversion. She was
then joined by heavily pregnant woman who also needed to get off but
still the driver said he couldnt let anyone off and he said he had
disabled the emergancy door releases.

After a lot more harranging he eventually opened the doors on
Shaftsbury Avenue about twenty minutes after the diversion had started.

Now I know drivers cant let people off anywhere other than the official
stops but surely thats not applicable where a bus is on diversion?
Basically we were forced to stay on the bus againest our will for
twenty minutes as it had got caught up in the regent st traffic.

I got off the bus feeling very self rightous but what are peoples
thoughts on this?

I have been held hostage on one of my local routes (run by Arriva) when
a diversion was in place. I was absolutely furious because I had done
what the official London Buses posters had told me to - get off the tube
one stop early and catch a diverted bus.

I immediately rang London Buses, once I was released from my mobile
prison, to complain. The LB representative called Arriva Buses and had a
radio instruction issued to remind drivers of the ruling. On planned
diversions - as yours was because it was advertised on the TfL website
in advance - then drivers MUST stop at all stops. The driver in your
case was wrong. When an unplanned diversion arises - e.g. police close
the road - then drivers do not have to stop at all stops on the
diversion but most will be sensible if people wish to alight to continue
their journeys on foot.

I also wrote to Arriva to ask about how they disseminated information
about diversions to their drivers as it was evident that Arriva had not
done what they were supposed to do while First and Stagecoach buses that
were diverted did stop when requested to do so.

I suggest you complain immediately to London Buses Customer Services.
Given the large volume of planned diversions on bus and tube services at
weekends it is essential that the rules are followed properly at all
times otherwise the transport service will descend into more chaos.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

On 15 Aug 2006 02:54:55 -0700, "kytelly" wrote:

Ok last saturday my friend and I hopped on a bendy bus outside
Selfridges to go a few stops down Oxford Street to Poland street (She
had a bad leg we're not just lazy!)

However when we got to Oxford circus the rest of the street was blocked
off and the bus was sent on a diversion down Regent street. Fine we
thought we'll get off at the next stop. However three stops later and
no sign of the bus stopping my friend started getting very anxious
(This is when I found out she was a bit claustrophobic) Anyway she
asked the driver if we could get off at the next stop but he refused
saying he wasnt allowed to stop at any stop on the diversion. She was
then joined by heavily pregnant woman who also needed to get off but
still the driver said he couldnt let anyone off and he said he had
disabled the emergancy door releases.

After a lot more harranging he eventually opened the doors on
Shaftsbury Avenue about twenty minutes after the diversion had started.

Now I know drivers cant let people off anywhere other than the official
stops but surely thats not applicable where a bus is on diversion?
Basically we were forced to stay on the bus againest our will for
twenty minutes as it had got caught up in the regent st traffic.

I got off the bus feeling very self rightous but what are peoples
thoughts on this?

I'd be dropping a strongly worded email to TfL with the bus route
number and journey plate number. The *very least* the driver should
have done is made an announcement at the last stop that was on the
normal route, that the bus was about to divert and passengers would
not be able to get off on the diversion. All the bendy buses have the
facility for the driver to make an amplified announcement.

If I had been abducted in the way you describe with no warning
announcement, the emergency exit button would definitely have been
tested at the next traffic lights. I don't believe it can be disabled
but if it was just pull the door anyway or get some bloke to do it,
they're not that strongly closed that you cannot force them open.

Paul Corfield wrote:

(OP snipped)

I have been held hostage on one of my local routes (run by Arriva) when
a diversion was in place. I was absolutely furious because I had done
what the official London Buses posters had told me to - get off the tube
one stop early and catch a diverted bus.

I immediately rang London Buses, once I was released from my mobile
prison, to complain. The LB representative called Arriva Buses and had a
radio instruction issued to remind drivers of the ruling. On planned
diversions - as yours was because it was advertised on the TfL website
in advance - then drivers MUST stop at all stops. The driver in your
case was wrong. When an unplanned diversion arises - e.g. police close
the road - then drivers do not have to stop at all stops on the
diversion but most will be sensible if people wish to alight to continue
their journeys on foot.

I also wrote to Arriva to ask about how they disseminated information
about diversions to their drivers as it was evident that Arriva had not
done what they were supposed to do while First and Stagecoach buses that
were diverted did stop when requested to do so.

I suggest you complain immediately to London Buses Customer Services.
Given the large volume of planned diversions on bus and tube services at
weekends it is essential that the rules are followed properly at all
times otherwise the transport service will descend into more chaos.
--
Paul C


Thanks for the info - I've always been a bit confused about what
happens during bus diversions, it always seemed a bit random (to me)
whether the bus stops or not. Now I know that buses on planned
diversions should stop at intermediate bus stops on request.

It'd be great if drivers could give an announcement over the PA system
- if available - before a diversion occurs. I've found myself on number
12's going south the two past weekends which have had a short diversion
over Lambeth Bridge instead of Waterloo Bridge (closed for roadworks
southbound only). A wave of confusion sweeps across the bus when this
happens (it's interesting to watch people's faces!) and I find myself
explaining to nearby fellow passengers that it's just a diversion. I
guess the fact they might be mildly intoxicated doesn't necessarily
help!

I also find that in a traffic jam or during a diversion a driver will
often open the front door for you if you ask politely and - crucially -
only ask when it is safe and sensible for someone to jump out the front
i.e. the traffic jam isn't about to start moving, the lights aren't
about to go green, the bus is fairly near the kerb, there isn't a
plethora of bicyclists/motorcyclists coming up on the inside etc. I
guess it also helps that I look like I will jump out quickly rather
than take loads of time getting out the door.

kytelly wrote:

the driver said he had disabled the emergancy door releases.

That has to be illegal! If he'd had a heart attack, how would anyone have
got off?