Alighting from a bus - what's the policy?

[SS4]

That said, the biggest time saver is getting ticketing off the bus. Paying the driver needs leaving in the 1980s. TfL at least have realised that, and as a result the buses move much more quickly than elsewhere.

Assuming the technology has reasonable speed. The Swift card in the West Midlands is not that much faster than cash since the latter is usually exact fare.

 

[MCR247]

Not even in the major conurbations? Greater Manchester and the West Midlands have over 2.5 million people. Cities less than half that size have and need multi-door operation to keep dwell times down.

Neil basically said what I would've replied Since buses here are often City Centre --> Suburb/elsewhere rather than a method of transport to get around within the city centre, I'm not sure how useful an extra set of doors would be.

It more depends on the style of route. On those routes where people board and then all get off in the centre, then the bus goes to a different stop and loads, multi-door probably has limited value. On any route with multiple "destination" stops or on any cross-city route, it has the potential to save a lot of time.

 

[oldman]

My observation is that older people (including some who certainly shouldn't) tend to make for the door well before the bus stops, while younger people are more likely to sit tight to the last moment.

 

[radamfi]

The Swift card in the West Midlands is not that much faster than cash since the latter is usually exact fare.

and bizarrely you still have to wait for a paper ticket!

 

[dave12435]

On some of Stagecoach East Kent double decker buses there is only one stop button next to the stairwell and they still have a sign saying "press once and remain seated until the bus stops" my arms are long but not long enough to reach from the back of the bus lol

 

[edwin_m]

The double deckers in Nottingham only have a couple of stop buttons on the top deck, and these are near the stairs. So anyone wanting to alight from anywhere further back has to walk to the button in good time before the stop. Most of the downstairs seats have a button within reach but sometimes it's behind you so may not be noticed by some.

I presume the reason the stairs on single-door double deckers slope backwards towards the non-existent central door is either because they can't be bothered to develop a non-London design, or becasue a person on the stairs falls upwards rather than downwards if the bus stops suddenly. However it does mean passengers going to and from the top deck have to push past anyone standing between the stairs and the wheel arch.

 

[Stompehh]

I presume the reason the stairs on single-door double deckers slope backwards towards the non-existent central door is either because they can't be bothered to develop a non-London design, or becasue a person on the stairs falls upwards rather than downwards if the bus stops suddenly. However it does mean passengers going to and from the top deck have to push past anyone standing between the stairs and the wheel arch.

It's because the stairs go over the top of the other wheel arch...

 

[Tom B]

LRT Olympians had the rubber strips, SYT Dominators had chains on the lower deck. Travelling on a particular route in Doncaster which had been near-solidly operated by Dominators for 20 years just after they were withdrawn, a lot of the OAPs were quite confused at the prospect of pressing a button!

Remember that the UK introduced legislation regarding centre doors etc following a death in Birmingham in the mid 1970s. This led to a wholesale moved away from such vehicles as the interlocks required meant that dwell times were as bad as single doors (plus vehicles were more expensive).

Hmm - LRT operated some Olympians manufactured between 1988-92 which could be driven with the centre doors open, albeit with a piercing siren sounding in the drivers cab. I recall many a time, when LRT operated a mixed single/dual door fleet when a driver would get on a bus and forget that it had a centre door. Notices were later placed in the cabs of these buses "REMEMBER THIS BUS HAS TWO DOORS".

Of course, technology moves on but then again, the infrastructure over the last 40 years was aimed at single door vehicles. Many saw tooth bus stations just can't handle dual door vehicles and the same issue surrounds bus stops especially in respect of raised kerbs..

About 10 years ago, First Mainline bought a batch of ex-London Olympians which they didn't convert from dual door. If you caught one of these, you had an interesting conundrum. If you went to the front door and the bus was driven by an old-school ex-SYT driver, you'd be told to go to the back doors as the front doors were not to be used for alighting. If it were a new driver they'd probably ignore the fact you were at the back doors, and only open the front doors despite protestation (until you hit the open button locally).

 

[Zoidberg]

What's the policy at your local bus company, or the company you work for, or travel most with, regarding alighting from bus stops?

...

Around here, Shropshire, ARRIVA has notices posted telling folk to ring the bell and stay seated until the bus stops.

It's a ridiculous policy, but it is one with which passengers, almost without exception, comply and there is no griping from the drivers.

To further increase the dwell time at stops, the driver does not set off until boarding passengers are seated. Another ridiculous policy. It'll be obvious to the driver when a boarding passenger needs to be given time to take a seat before moving off.

When I want off, I ring the bell and move forward to be ready to get off when the doors open.

 

[Martin1988]

Here in Bristol, First ask people to remain seated until the bus has stopped. On the buses with pre-recorded announcements, this instruction is always given upon reaching the final stop

 

[Zoidberg]

This YouTube clip of Bob Newhart, at 3:50, has relevance to why a driver should not wait until passengers are seated before moving off ... but the whole clip is worth watching.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R5TTA4f7Q3E

 

[SS4]

To further increase the dwell time at stops, the driver does not set off until boarding passengers are seated. Another ridiculous policy. It'll be obvious to the driver when a boarding passenger needs to be given time to take a seat before moving off.

Do you find you get more people boarding whilst the driver is waiting for others to sit down? That is the people waiting at the stop get on and whilst they're ready for a seat someone else boards

 

[Zoidberg]

Do you find you get more people boarding whilst the driver is waiting for others to sit down? That is the people waiting at the stop get on and whilst they're ready for a seat someone else boards

I've not seen that happen, but the services I use are quiet rural ones and it's usually only the few already at the stop that board.

 

[Martin1988]

I remember one instance in Swindon where I was running to catch a Thamesdown bus on the road outside New College. Just as I got to the bus the driver shut the doors but for some reason part of the door didn't shut properly giving me just enough time to jump on.

The driver was a bit surprised but wasn't cross

 

[WelshBluebird]

It really depends on the bus stop! Certainly the stop nearest my house, in one direction the bus takes quite a sharp corner usually at a fairly decent speed just before the stop. If you were walking towards the front doors when going around that corner then you would end up falling over / falling onto someone else (as someone else said earlier in the thread, people who are standing have the ability to be holding onto a fixed point on the bus so are less likely to have the same issue).

 

[Robertj21a]

Around here, Shropshire, ARRIVA has notices posted telling folk to ring the bell and stay seated until the bus stops.

It's a ridiculous policy, but it is one with which passengers, almost without exception, comply and there is no griping from the drivers.

To further increase the dwell time at stops, the driver does not set off until boarding passengers are seated. Another ridiculous policy. It'll be obvious to the driver when a boarding passenger needs to be given time to take a seat before moving off.

When I want off, I ring the bell and move forward to be ready to get off when the doors open.

Most drivers are now taught to not move off until passengers are seated (certainly old/vulnerable passengers). Given the lawyers chasing for insurance claims it seems both necessary for the company, and comforting for their passengers. I've no idea why you should feel it is a ridiculous policy.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Around here, Shropshire, ARRIVA has notices posted telling folk to ring the bell and stay seated until the bus stops.

It's a ridiculous policy, but it is one with which passengers, almost without exception, comply and there is no griping from the drivers.

To further increase the dwell time at stops, the driver does not set off until boarding passengers are seated. Another ridiculous policy. It'll be obvious to the driver when a boarding passenger needs to be given time to take a seat before moving off.

When I want off, I ring the bell and move forward to be ready to get off when the doors open.

I find it to be a very sensible policy, disabilities regarding balance are not obvious, nor can the driver determine from his cab whether a passenger is struggling with shopping bags - concentrating on which means the passenger is not concentrating on his balance. Many a time I have been thrown into my seat, or someone nearby, when the driver does a grand prix start whilst I swap a heavy bag from left hand - to right hand - to seat. Perhaps buses in the US are more spacious than in the UK and allow shuffling of luggage whilst seated (or have, shock horror, front or overhead luggage racks!). Similarly when alighting bags need to be grouped onto one hand and then you need to proceed down the bus keeping a hand free to hold onto grab rails if NOT waiting until the bus has sopped. I find that the bus is delayed longer if I have to crawl around the floor picking up apples and oranges than it would be if I had remained seated until the bus had stopped - and my shopping thus not escaped from their carrier bags.

Having said that, some people take the mick by boarding then proceeding to have a conversation with several passengers before even looking for a seat, and then repeat whilst alighting. A comment from the driver, or other passengers is not always well received!

 

[neilmc]

I find it to be a very sensible policy, disabilities regarding balance are not obvious, nor can the driver determine from his cab whether a passenger is struggling with shopping bags - concentrating on which means the passenger is not concentrating on his balance. Many a time I have been thrown into my seat, or someone nearby, when the driver does a grand prix start whilst I swap a heavy bag from left hand - to right hand - to seat. Perhaps buses in the US are more spacious than in the UK and allow shuffling of luggage whilst seated (or have, shock horror, front or overhead luggage racks!). Similarly when alighting bags need to be grouped onto one hand and then you need to proceed down the bus keeping a hand free to hold onto grab rails if NOT waiting until the bus has sopped. I find that the bus is delayed longer if I have to crawl around the floor picking up apples and oranges than it would be if I had remained seated until the bus had stopped - and my shopping thus not escaped from their carrier bags.



Having said that, some people take the mick by boarding then proceeding to have a conversation with several passengers before even looking for a seat, and then repeat whilst alighting. A comment from the driver, or other passengers is not always well received!

Not a viable policy on busy routes or in cities though, especially where double-deckers are the norm. The occasional wheelchair user or obviously disabled passenger can be accommodated, but it's a luxury which can't be extended to other passengers who are boarding or alighting at almost every stop.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Not a viable policy on busy routes or in cities though, especially where double-deckers are the norm. The occasional wheelchair user or obviously disabled passenger can be accommodated, but it's a luxury which can't be extended to other passengers who are boarding or alighting at almost every stop.

That being the case, the company should not advertise a policy (remain seated) which its staff have no intention of allowing passengers to follow.

 

[Robertj21a]

Not a viable policy on busy routes or in cities though, especially where double-deckers are the norm. The occasional wheelchair user or obviously disabled passenger can be accommodated, but it's a luxury which can't be extended to other passengers who are boarding or alighting at almost every stop.

If you're a bus driver I suggest you talk to your manger. (Hint - It isn't 'a luxury'.)

 

[ag51ruk]

Not a viable policy on busy routes or in cities though, especially where double-deckers are the norm. The occasional wheelchair user or obviously disabled passenger can be accommodated, but it's a luxury which can't be extended to other passengers who are boarding or alighting at almost every stop.

TrentBarton drivers dont set off until everyone is seated (mostly) - and they seem to manage on some very busy routes

 

[neilmc]

No, I'm not a driver, just a regular bus passenger in Manchester. The only place I have seen the advice to remain seated until the bus stops is on the First website. However this has never been the practice throughout my lifetime; if you ring the bell and stay seated the driver may well conclude that you pressed the bell a stop early by mistake and drive on. And what if you're sat at the back upstairs? It's just an ass-covering statement in case a passenger has an accident whilst getting off, and is at variance anyway with the practice of carrying standing passengers when the bus is busy.