Why can't they develop a small snow-plough attachment for buses? Or is that too fanciful?
Or why not fitr them with sand dispensers above the driving wheels - just like they did with the old steam trains. (Which reminds me - years ago, in the days of steam trains, you rarely heard of trains being cancelled o/a snow - are we just getting soft these days and not prepared to deal even for a couple of weeks, with a bit of hardship?)
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The problems seen on the TV for buses show ice or compacted snow (ice?) rather than deep snow causing the problems so I doubt a plough would make much difference.
Re "sanders", yep thats not a bad idea, but they are a sod to keep clean and the sand has to be kept dry... quite an expensive option though, I doubt the bus companies would want to pay out for something which only happens once ever blue moon!
(And please don't let them use "one shot" sanders!!)
Edited by b308 on 07/01/2010 at 09:56
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Why can't they develop a small snow-plough attachment for buses? Or is that too fanciful?
Something like this?
tinyurl.com/ygclx53
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Morning all,
The impression I am getting from a few posters here is that they consider that, once it becomes too dangerous for them to drive their own car due to snow and/or ice, it is perfectly acceptable to expect somebody else to drive them (and up to 80 other people) to where they want to be.
Now, I know that public transport should be available to all at all times and it is, if we're being honest, a trifle laughable that it grinds to a halt in inclement weather. I don't want to get into the whys and wherefores, or the Elf'n'Safety aspect but I would like to put across the bus driver's point of view.
It is a huge responsibility, and one that is rarely acknowledged in my opinion, to carry a bus load of passengers about safely and without incident. As a driver, you am responsible for the life of everybody on that bus and as one poster has already said, those passengers will be someone's mum, dad, son, daughter etc. Not only that, but you are also responsible for ensuring that you do not injure anybody not on the bus (if you see what I mean). When the roads are clear and the weather is fine, you can accept that responsibility and, by and large, that responsibility is totally within your control.
Add thick snow and sheet ice (as we have here) into the equation and the control that you exert over the situation diminishes rapidly. A full single decker (ie 49 seats) will weigh in total around eighteen tonnes and that is a lot of vehicle to keep on the straight and narrow. As another poster has said, once a bus starts to slide on ice all you can do hold on to the steering wheel and hope for the best. It is a terrifying experience and one that, once you have had you will not want to repeat ever again.
I am very glad that I am not currently in the industry as I would not have wanted to be out on the roads over the past few days and would like more people to acknowledge the efforts made by the bus and coach drivers of this country. Especially the unseen efforts, for example Arriva drivers in Runcorn walked to work on Tuesday morning and dug buses out of the snow so that they could run a service. People in their nice, warm 9 to 5 jobs never seem to think of this....
Stay safe out there folks.
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Well said, BW, it always surprises me that, even though they don't try to get into work, many people *expect* Public Transport and Supermarket HGV delivery drivers to be able to get through and keep things running...
If its any consolation I think that Bus Drivers are on a par with Train Drivers skill-wise, especially as they have to deal with the Public as well as doing the driving, but well underpaid compared with them.
Ah well, off to work at 12 to do my bit to keep the trains running! Timed my two rest days quite well, I thought!
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Thanks for making that point Badwolf, I'm having the same problem too at the moment.
I'm getting complaints via emails from Blackberry phones, telling me that lorries are blocking roads and they shouldn't be there.
I'm being asked what I intend to do about it as a Trustee of a Lorry Drivers Association. I've been told they are driving too fast and too slow.
My patience is quickly running out.
We, like bus drivers do our level best to try and deliver the goods to keep the public ( and ourselves) with food, fuel and all the good things in life.
As soon as that 'Public' is sat in a traffic jam caused by a lorry complaints are then directed as us for causing it.
Mobile internet has a lot to answer for, and so has Google.
Pat
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Hello there Pat, it was most remiss of me not to include lorry drivers - I should have done so, sorry.
I agree that Joe Public, by and large, has not the foggiest notion of what it takes to maintain a service. They want that service and they want it now!
This is a little off-topic so apologies to the OP but what follows is a perfect illustration of the "how dare I be inconvenienced?!" attitude. In September 2004 I was involved in a serious and, sadly fatal RTC whilst driving a bus. It happened on a rural, but narrow A road and blocked the road for five hours or so. In the immediate aftermath of the collision it was readily apparent that the pillion passenger from the motorbike involved was in a seriously bad way. Establishing that I could be of no further use at the actual scene I started to turn traffic around. I walked up to the first vehicle in the queue and informed the driver that they were going to have to turn around. His reply? "No chance. I only live just over that bridge. I'll just drive round the scene." My reply? I'm afraid I can't give it as it would give the swear filter a purple fit. Suffice to say that he did not drive around the scene.
That man's attitude astounded me then, and it still does now. The me, me, me approach is the common denominator now and we are all so much poorer for it.
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good post badwolf glad someones stood up for the bus drivers in this weather,those vehicles are also mainly front light and must be a nightmare to drive in some situations
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This thread is a breath of fresh air. I appreciate the efforts made by those who keep essential transport services going in bad weather - that's the lorry, bus, train, ambulance, delivery drivers and anyone else who I've forgotten.
These are the real heroes and role models for our kids, IMHO - not overpaid footballers and "celebrities".
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As the OP I would like to make it clear that, I was not, nor ever have been critical of bus drivers.
My reason for starting this thread was to make the point that since the government wishes to encourage the use of public transport, then it must be available at all times.
It's no use the media saying do not drive unless your journey is really urgent, if there is no other means of getting to where you need to be.
It's up to the public transport / government to ensure that a reliable system exists. At the moment I defy anyone to claim that public transport in the UK is universally reliable (or clean, or on time, or comfortable, or convieninent). A bit of snow in winter and it fails.
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It's up to the public transport / government to ensure that a reliable system exists. At the moment I defy anyone to claim that public transport in the UK is universally reliable (or clean or on time or comfortable or convieninent). A bit of snow in winter and it fails.
I absolutely agree with you there. However, there is very little that the public transport companies can do without the support of the various transport agencies. It is the infrastructure that needs overhauling here but realistically that will never happen. The sort of weather on the sort of scale we have experienced over the past couple of weeks occurs only very rarely and as such it is just not worth spending the many millions of pounds that it would cost to equip us. I'd much rather have a week or so of absolute chaos once every few years and instead have the money spent on better things - education, cancer care and the like rather than the Government spend a fortune on equipping the country for something that only happens once in a blue moon.
Edited by Badwolf {P} on 07/01/2010 at 14:04
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Would it make a difference if busses had a 'winter' mode on there transmissions, like some cars do? They can certainly pull away from rest in higher gears - I have seen this happen with a broken gearbox that would only select top.
Edited by AlastairW on 07/01/2010 at 19:55
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