emergency door buzzers

[porto666]

can anybody tell me if the rear emergency door on buses, do they have to have a audible alert i.e. buzzer to warn driver that it`s open or can it just be a warning light. As being i driver i am always anxious incase a child opens the door and i have not seen the red light on my instrument panel.Surely it`s law to have an audible warning, is that classed as a PG9 defect if buzzer not working

 

[CN04NRJ]

can anybody tell me if the rear emergency door on buses, do they have to have a audible alert i.e. buzzer to warn driver that it`s open or can it just be a warning light. As being i driver i am always anxious incase a child opens the door and i have not seen the red light on my instrument panel.Surely it`s law to have an audible warning, is that classed as a PG9 defect if buzzer not working

As far as I'm aware there has to be some kind of warning and the vehicle would be unroadworthy if it had none at all.

 

[Lewlew]

can anybody tell me if the rear emergency door on buses, do they have to have a audible alert i.e. buzzer to warn driver that it`s open or can it just be a warning light. As being i driver i am always anxious incase a child opens the door and i have not seen the red light on my instrument panel.Surely it`s law to have an audible warning, is that classed as a PG9 defect if buzzer not working

When doing your daily walk round check, open the door and go check the dash. All the buses I've driven were audible alarm only.

 

[TR673]

can anybody tell me if the rear emergency door on buses, do they have to have a audible alert i.e. buzzer to warn driver that it`s open or can it just be a warning light. As being i driver i am always anxious incase a child opens the door and i have not seen the red light on my instrument panel.Surely it`s law to have an audible warning, is that classed as a PG9 defect if buzzer not working

I've been on a Bristol MW with audible alarm, so I think it would be standard on even the oldest of vehicles

 

[Titfield]

Check the PSV Inspection Manual

Different standards apply to different types of vehicle.

 

[philthetube]

as CN04NRJ said, just check it when you have a minute, then let us know what you find, thanks.

 

[Pat1105]

There should be an audible alarm. Lights on the dash can be missed - especially if they aren’t in your line of sight. You can’t drive a bus staring at the dash to be sure that your emergency exit hasn’t flung open.
I once assisted the yard team with a run in and one of the checks carried out when a bus returns to the yard is to make sure that the emergency exit alarms are working properly. Its a good idea, and you may as well given there’s the opportunity to check it. It would also mean a defect with the alarm could be rectified overnight so that the bus would be fit for service in the morning.

 

[Geordie driver]

can anybody tell me if the rear emergency door on buses, do they have to have a audible alert i.e. buzzer to warn driver that it`s open or can it just be a warning light. As being i driver i am always anxious incase a child opens the door and i have not seen the red light on my instrument panel.Surely it`s law to have an audible warning, is that classed as a PG9 defect if buzzer not working

How long have you been bus driving? Checking things like this is the start of your shift, at least if you are first out of the depot. I have driven buses built in the 1960s and they had a very loud buzzer, if this didn't work the bus didn't leave the depot.

Doing a school run I once got stopped by 2 police women asking if I knew the upstairs emergency exit was open. Clearly I did due to the loud siren going off. I advised the police to just leave it as the kids would be off soon, but no, they were going upstairs to sort it out.

By the time they came down they were practically in tears, the kids just told them to get lost, but not quite as politely as that.

 

[M60lad]

Depending on the area kids like to play with the rear emergency window on buses and it probably would take quite a hardy driver to go upstairs to challenge them especially on a Schoolbus, best for the driver to report it to the depot or the School so they can sort it out, I'm sure most rear emegency windows on buses are now covered by CCTV.

One thing I do remember is going back a number of years ago when First Manchester had a number of elderly MCW Metrobuses some of the kids managed to find the sensor for the emergency window alarm and used to regularly cut the wires so that the alarm wouldnt sound in the drivers cab even if the window was open and the driver would be oblivious to what was going on (Pre CCTV Days) until someone actually told them.

 

[Titfield]

Checking the emrgency exit and its associated alarm should be part of the daily walkround check prociedure and an item specifically listed on the drivers walkrund check sheet / record. Maintaining Roadworthiness Guide

 

[MotCO]

I remember being on an Olympian and the buzzer went off - it was either a faulty sensor or catch.

 

[Geordie driver]

Depending on the area kids like to play with the rear emergency window on buses and it probably would take quite a hardy driver to go upstairs to challenge them especially on a Schoolbus, best for the driver to report it to the depot or the School so they can sort it out, I'm sure most rear emegency windows on buses are now covered by CCTV.

One thing I do remember is going back a number of years ago when First Manchester had a number of elderly MCW Metrobuses some of the kids managed to find the sensor for the emergency window alarm and used to regularly cut the wires so that the alarm wouldnt sound in the drivers cab even if the window was open and the driver would be oblivious to what was going on (Pre CCTV Days) until someone actually told them.

Yep, the kids worked out how to hold the sensor in and used to throw the seats out of the back window.

 

[porto666]

How long have you been bus driving? Checking things like this is the start of your shift, at least if you are first out of the depot. I have driven buses built in the 1960s and they had a very loud buzzer, if this didn't work the bus didn't leave the depot.

Doing a school run I once got stopped by 2 police women asking if I knew the upstairs emergency exit was open. Clearly I did due to the loud siren going off. I advised the police to just leave it as the kids would be off soon, but no, they were going upstairs to sort it out.

By the time they came down they were practically in tears, the kids just told them to get lost, but not quite as politely as that.

drove buses for 30years now but now with small firm the boss said you can have a buzzer or a red door open sign on the instrument panel

 

[Pat1105]

drove buses for 30years now but now with small firm the boss said you can have a buzzer or a red door open sign on the instrument panel

Not to be against smaller operators here, but you tend to find that they don’t pay as much attention to defects or regulations. Instead, their priority is to get buses on the road. My local independent company once had a bus in regular service with no functioning speedo. I dread to think what other defects the vehicles may have been in service with.

 

[Cesarcollie]

Not to be against smaller operators here, but you tend to find that they don’t pay as much attention to defects or regulations. Instead, their priority is to get buses on the road. My local independent company once had a bus in regular service with no functioning speedo. I dread to think what other defects the vehicles may have been in service with.

Sweeping generalisation. There are smaller operators with better maintenance than big ones. There are poorer operators of all ownership types - thankfully probably fewer than 20-30 years ago!

 

[Geordie driver]

drove buses for 30years now but now with small firm the boss said you can have a buzzer or a red door open sign on the instrument panel

My apologies, I don't know the exact legal position but,in my experience, the emergency exit buzzer is loud so the people near it can hear it. Is it a particular type of bus that would normally have a buzzer?
Personally I wouldn't drive a bus I wasn't happy with and that would include a bus without a warning buzzer for the emergency exits.

It's not just the smaller companies that skimp on maintenance.

 

[Pat1105]

Sweeping generalisation. There are smaller operators with better maintenance than big ones. There are poorer operators of all ownership types - thankfully probably fewer than 20-30 years ago!

I’ll admit, it was generalised. However, many of the WM independents have poor maintenance.

 

[M60lad]

I've been on quite a few vehicles in the past where the emergency alarm has gone off and its turned out to be a faulty catch/sensor on the emergency window/door.

In the past I've held the emergency handle down on an emergency window to stop the alarm going off in the cab and the got thanks from the driver.