MiniClubmanEstate wrote:So what am I supposed to do? if this coach gets stopped am I likely to be charged?
ROG wrote:There is one way to stop this but it's a little expensive - get the seatbelts linked to an electronic system that gives a warning to the driver when one is removed - same as in many cars
MiniClubmanEstate wrote:The other problem with that is that it does not benefit the driver to know that the children simply remove their seat belts as soon as the coach moves away, we know this already.
MiniClubmanEstate wrote:....The only actions I take are that when stopped at a set down point I will check to see is the remaining children are seated and I do not move the coach until they are, often they complain and they are simply told that once everybody is seated I will resume driving, This means that they sit down until the coach is moving and continue running around once the coach is moving.....
adiNigel wrote:So stop the bus again as soon as they stand up and keep stopping it until they show the required behaviour. If they complain - let them, the solution is in their own hands. Children running around on a moving bus are dangerous - to each other and to the driver!
Nigel
MiniClubmanEstate wrote:adiNigel wrote:So stop the bus again as soon as they stand up and keep stopping it until they show the required behaviour. If they complain - let them, the solution is in their own hands. Children running around on a moving bus are dangerous - to each other and to the driver!
Nigel
If only it were that simple, There are very few safe stopping places on most of our school runs, inappropriate stopping could contribute to a collision involving other impatient road users and so I am only prepared to stop in areas where I am not compromising the safety of other road users, this means that there are only some bus stops to choose from and I would suggest that the hard shoulder on an NSL dual-carriageway to be a poor judgement.
MiniClubmanEstate wrote:I am secure in the knowledge that the best course of action for me to ensure safety is to maintain primary focus on driving the coach safely and smoothly, I used to drive service buses with passengers standing which is probably even more hazardous than a few fit children with faster than average reflexes moving around on a coach.
MiniClubmanEstate wrote:Focusing on passenger activities on a coach means neglecting important information about what is happening around the coach, this is only likely to cause a fatal collision with another road user, but I suppose we would be secure in the knowledge that we did our best to ensure that children were wearing seat belts.
MiniClubmanEstate wrote:The laws which effect professional drivers in my opinion designed to make the job impossible, If I get charged for perusing safety rather than legality I can live with that, the deaths of other beings caused by taking extreme measures to ensure compliance I cannot.
adiNigel wrote:Once the kids realise you are serious about not moving the bus when they are up and running about they will behave.
MiniClubmanEstate wrote:It is stated that a coach driver is responsible for ensuring that children under 14 years of age wear seat belts,
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It is stated that a coach driver is responsible for taking reasonable measures to ensure that seat belts are worn but what I want to know is what I can actually do?
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One evening I contacted the school in question and advised them of the situation onboard the coach, my employer contacted the councils education department and we requested an escort be provided for the run but this was ignored. We also requested that a police community officer visit the school as we were also having problems with items being thrown around the coach but they could not be bothered.
So what am I supposed to do? if this coach gets stopped am I likely to be charged?
jont wrote:adiNigel wrote:Once the kids realise you are serious about not moving the bus when they are up and running about they will behave.
Clearly you're not a teacher. Once the kids realise they are in control, the bus won't move again.
MiniClubmanEstate wrote:....The only actions I take are that when stopped at a set down point I will check to see is the remaining children are seated and I do not move the coach until they are, often they complain and they are simply told that once everybody is seated I will resume driving, This means that they sit down until the coach is moving and continue running around once the coach is moving.....
adiNigel wrote:But that's the point, the kids are complaining when the bus isn't moving, they want to get home. By stopping until they've sat down again they aren't winning!
GJD wrote:adiNigel wrote:But that's the point, the kids are complaining when the bus isn't moving, they want to get home. By stopping until they've sat down again they aren't winning!
Unless they decide that playing Make the Bus Driver Keep Stopping is more fun than getting home right now?
MiniClubmanEstate wrote:It is stated that a coach driver is responsible for ensuring that children under 14 years of age wear seat belts...
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