I'm surprised people become bus drivers, such a low wage and yet you could have a lapse in concentration and end up in jail.
Not many low paid jobs come with that risk ...plus there's always the chance you come face to face with an absolute pissed up maniac who decides to have a go at you.
Plus, I’m not certain but I think most of them still do split shifts. Which surely should be illegal in a job such as driving the public around?£35k top end salary for experienced drivers. As you say, high risk, little reward.
Train drivers can earn double that.
No wonder there are so many idiots doing these kind of jobs. I certainly wouldn't want to be a risk holder in the public transport industry. From an outsiders perspective, the overall H&S culture stinks and in my opinion it doesn't seem to get taken seriously at all.
I'm guessing he's used to doing the 52 single deck route, which does go that way. It's just a few seconds lapse in concentration and without the chains to warn him...Plus, I’m not certain but I think most of them still do split shifts. Which surely should be illegal in a job such as driving the public around?
Obviously I don’t know this for a fact but this crash happened about 3pm and there’s every chance that this guy had been out and about driving buses since 5 am or so.
Plus, I’m not certain but I think most of them still do split shifts. Which surely should be illegal in a job such as driving the public around?£35k top end salary for experienced drivers. As you say, high risk, little reward.
Train drivers can earn double that.
No wonder there are so many idiots doing these kind of jobs. I certainly wouldn't want to be a risk holder in the public transport industry. From an outsiders perspective, the overall H&S culture stinks and in my opinion it doesn't seem to get taken seriously at all.
Somebody on a local Facebook group claimed that they knew he’d been on the 52 run in the morning and then switched to the 100 in the afternoon. Whether that’s true or not, by far the most likely explanation is that he’d departed the Trafford Centre after a little break and thought he was on a single decker 52.I'm guessing he's used to doing the 52 single deck route, which does go that way. It's just a few seconds lapse in concentration and without the chains to warn him...
I know there are strict rules on driving HGV's with regards duty and driving hours, but I don't know how that translates to PSV driving. You'd think it would be at least similar if not more restrictive. If people are being routinely allowed to operate outside of these rules that is bad news.Plus, I’m not certain but I think most of them still do split shifts. Which surely should be illegal in a job such as driving the public around?
Obviously I don’t know this for a fact but this crash happened about 3pm and there’s every chance that this guy had been i out and about driving buses since 5 am or so.
It's cost cutting since they did away with the "clippy". He/she has got to drive the bus, take fares, keep an eye on unruly passengers etc. Compared to a train driver who is paid twice as much to keep the train on a track all from a locked cabin. Plus the grief you get from pissed up arseholes and schoolkids.I'm surprised people become bus drivers, such a low wage and yet you could have a lapse in concentration and end up in jail.
Not many low paid jobs come with that risk ...plus there's always the chance you come face to face with an absolute pissed up maniac who decides to have a go at you.
As a very rough general rule, the longer it takes to be trained up to full speed in a job, the higher the wages. A new train driver will probably be employed for something like 18 months before he is out and about driving trains on his own. I believe a bus driver can be out there on his own in something like 6 weeks.It's cost cutting since they did away with the "clippy". He/she has got to drive the bus, take fares, keep an eye on unruly passengers etc. Compared to a train driver who is paid twice as much to keep the train on a track all from a locked cabin. Plus the grief you get from pissed up arseholes and schoolkids.
Have to say that I've experienced issues too since they swapped over to the Bee Network. Regarding buses running on time, I'd say the first 6 weeks or so were the worst. I get the 250 or X50 to and from Trafford Park from town and they were all over the place in those early weeks, often running 20-30 minutes late then shit loads turned up at once. Also, one morning on the 250 going to work it stopped near the University. The driver told us all to get off the bus because he'd just been told the MOT had run out and he couldn't drive it any further so he basically had to abandon it! And yes, there have been occasions where the bus has gone down the wrong street too. Also, it feels like erratic driving of these buses seems to be on the increase, with passengers getting flung all over the place on occasion.I use buses a lot and have the Bee Network app where you can track the bus. Multiple times I’ve watched the bus tracking show the bus turn down the wrong road after the hospital and have to come back on itself and turn up 10-15 minutes late at the stop outside my flats.
A few times the bus just carries on and goes to Civic and doesn’t bother coming back where it’s meant to so I don’t get the bus for another 30 minutes.
A lot of the time the bus is at the terminal at either Wythenshawe or Altrincham and says it’s on time, only for it to sit there for a further 30 minutes until the next one is meant to leave.
This never used to happen before the Bee Network came in.
I’ve seen that too… an elderly woman recently went flying as the driver slammed on the brakes after she pinged the bell and she got up the alight the bus.Have to say that I've experienced issues too since they swapped over to the Bee Network. Regarding buses running on time, I'd say the first 6 weeks or so were the worst. I get the 250 or X50 to and from Trafford Park from town and they were all over the place in those early weeks, often running 20-30 minutes late then shit loads turned up at once. Also, one morning on the 250 going to work it stopped near the University. The driver told us all to get off the bus because he'd just been told the MOT had run out and he couldn't drive it any further so he basically had to abandon it! And yes, there have been occasions where the bus has gone down the wrong street too. Also, it feels like erratic driving of these buses seems to be on the increase, with passengers getting flung all over the place on occasion.
As often seems to happen with things like this, there were rumours flying about locally that the young girl had died on Monday evening. What would possess anybody to start rumours like that is unfathomable. But that's a different discussion I suppose.I’ve just seen the video again and noticed the two lads at the back of the top, both looked in a bad way… I’d missed it the first time.
Has any news come out about how everyone is?
It must be horrible to witness and rumours can start inadvertently as people try to make sense about what they’ve just seen. I’ve seen accidents where you just can’t believe anyone would survive it, but then later you hear everyone got through it. People generally want to help, I find, but it’s hard for witnesses to not say what they saw, perhaps even in shock themselves.As often seems to happen with things like this, there were rumours flying about locally that the young girl had died on Monday evening. What would possess anybody to start rumours like that is unfathomable. But that's a different discussion I suppose.
But the three people, including the girl, who were 'critical' are all being described as 'stable' now thankfully. So fingers crossed they all make a full recovery.