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Post by vjaska on Apr 18, 2018 12:25:11 GMT
Kennington Church for the 3, 159 & 415 - too many buses here can cause traffic to build up. I was told the 415 actually do their changes at Old Kent Road Tescos as TfL at the time didn't want more than two routes changing at neither Kennington Church nor Elephant and Castle. Yeah your right about the 415’s changeovers, still even with just the 3 & 159, it can be problematic.
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Post by lwldriver on Apr 18, 2018 13:13:12 GMT
I was told the 415 actually do their changes at Old Kent Road Tescos as TfL at the time didn't want more than two routes changing at neither Kennington Church nor Elephant and Castle. Yeah your right about the 415’s changeovers, still even with just the 3 & 159, it can be problematic. Abellio 172, 188 & 415 changeovers we’re done at New Kent Road. I heard a rumour they would be moved to Kennington Church once the 172 & 188 were lost. But seeing as I haven’t been at Abellio since before the 172 loss, I don’t know if they’ve changed the 415 changeover point since then as I am now driving 172 again among others.
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Post by dmncf on Apr 21, 2018 16:23:22 GMT
A key point needs making here. Whilst multiple locations may be less than desirable, all operators need to have bus driver changes at the most convenient point closest to garage. The further away they move the more expensive bids will become and TfL would have less money to spend and more cuts to make. Now that drivers don't carry cash, do they still have to visit the garage before taking over a bus? And afterwards too, or can they just go straight home?
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Post by YY13VKP on Apr 21, 2018 16:44:19 GMT
A key point needs making here. Whilst multiple locations may be less than desirable, all operators need to have bus driver changes at the most convenient point closest to garage. The further away they move the more expensive bids will become and TfL would have less money to spend and more cuts to make. Now that drivers don't carry cash, do they still have to visit the garage before taking over a bus? And afterwards too, or can they just go straight home? Yes they do, to sign on and off.
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Post by cl54 on Apr 21, 2018 17:14:28 GMT
Now that drivers don't carry cash, do they still have to visit the garage before taking over a bus? And afterwards too, or can they just go straight home? Yes they do, to sign on and off. and to collect and return their personal module on the ticket machine.
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Post by sid on Apr 22, 2018 5:26:39 GMT
A key point needs making here. Whilst multiple locations may be less than desirable, all operators need to have bus driver changes at the most convenient point closest to garage. The further away they move the more expensive bids will become and TfL would have less money to spend and more cuts to make. Now that drivers don't carry cash, do they still have to visit the garage before taking over a bus? And afterwards too, or can they just go straight home? I would have thought being able to sign on or off remotely would make the job more attractive for a lot of people rather than finishing close to where you live but having to go all the way back to the garage to sign off. Obviously it wouldn't be possible on duties where a bus has to be collected from or returned to the garage.
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Post by Paul on Apr 22, 2018 11:11:07 GMT
Yes they do, to sign on and off. and to collect and return their personal module on the ticket machine. We don’t have personal modules at Bromley. We are still required to go to the garage to sign on at the start of our duty and to hand in duty and log cards at the end of our duty. A remote sign on/sign off procedure should be possible in this day and age and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this trialled in the near future
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Post by M1104 on Apr 23, 2018 13:27:41 GMT
I would have thought being able to sign on or off remotely would make the job more attractive for a lot of people rather than finishing close to where you live but having to go all the way back to the garage to sign off. Obviously it wouldn't be possible on duties where a bus has to be collected from or returned to the garage. There's also the issue of log cards that need to be handed in by each driver at end of shift, it being as much a legal document as the tachograph. Duty cards also need to be handed in where a different driver would need it next day. Also, driver signing on at the depot helps the firm to better keep tracks on staffing situations, e.g.. allocating a stand by driver to cover a duty in case the schedule driver arrives late, or not at all. The drivers themselves need to know route information on a day-to-day basis, ie. Diversions, curtailments, bus stop closures, etc. By signing on at the depot they can refer to relevant notice boards.
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Post by londonbuses2018 on Apr 23, 2018 13:47:52 GMT
186 at Edgware
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Post by rambo on Apr 23, 2018 15:26:16 GMT
I'm amazed changeovers are still allowed at bus stops, middle of winter freezing your nuts off waiting far your bus to turn up!
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Post by sid on Apr 23, 2018 17:06:29 GMT
I would have thought being able to sign on or off remotely would make the job more attractive for a lot of people rather than finishing close to where you live but having to go all the way back to the garage to sign off. Obviously it wouldn't be possible on duties where a bus has to be collected from or returned to the garage. There's also the issue of log cards that need to be handed in by each driver at end of shift, it being as much a legal document as the tachograph. Duty cards also need to be handed in where a different driver would need it next day. Also, driver signing on at the depot helps the firm to better keep tracks on staffing situations, e.g.. allocating a stand by driver to cover a duty in case the schedule driver arrives late, or not at all. The drivers themselves need to know route information on a day-to-day basis, ie. Diversions, curtailments, bus stop closures, etc. By signing on at the depot they can refer to relevant notice boards. These are hardly insurmountable problems, technology allows other options.
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Post by 6HP502C on Apr 24, 2018 0:32:40 GMT
New changeover points for the 161 - Woolwich Arsenal station. Both stops are arranged to take 3 or 4 through buses. A delayed 161 causes blocking back. 65+ buses per hour serve those pair of bus stops at Woolwich Arsenal and I've seen first hand how well it is working. I was on a 244 last week which was trying to serve the stop - but two 161s were sitting in it with their hazards on and two other buses were sat behind them picking up passengers. The front 161 moved off and as the 244 was about to take its place, the 2nd 161 moved forward. This resulted in the 244 driver executing a very awkward reverse parallel park and even then, couldn't quite get to the kerb. Sitting in the cage with hazards on misleads other drivers into thinking the bus is about to pull out. If the changeovers are creating safety and accessibility issues, I suspect it won't be too long before the location is changed.
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Post by 6HP502C on Apr 24, 2018 0:46:58 GMT
A key point needs making here. Whilst multiple locations may be less than desirable, all operators need to have bus driver changes at the most convenient point closest to garage. The further away they move the more expensive bids will become and TfL would have less money to spend and more cuts to make. Now that drivers don't carry cash, do they still have to visit the garage before taking over a bus? And afterwards too, or can they just go straight home? Yes, it's necessary to go to the garage to sign on. It's good practice to ensure the drivers are fit for duty and are carrying their Driver Qualification Card, which is a legal requirement when carrying passengers, in addition to the other reasons others have picked up on.
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Post by redexpress on Apr 24, 2018 0:50:02 GMT
When the 232 moved back into W a few years ago, eastbound buses had live changeovers in the bus station at Brent Cross. Unsurprisingly this didn't work very well, given the stop is an ultra-busy one also served by 102, 189, 210, C11 etc., so the changeover point was soon moved to the 324 stop on Prince Charles Drive (which, confusingly, isn't an official boarding point for the 232). I'm amazed that they got approval to have the changeovers in the bus station in the first place - there's no way that was going to work at such a busy, cramped location.
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Post by sid on Apr 24, 2018 7:29:38 GMT
Now that drivers don't carry cash, do they still have to visit the garage before taking over a bus? And afterwards too, or can they just go straight home? Yes, it's necessary to go to the garage to sign on. It's good practice to ensure the drivers are fit for duty and are carrying their Driver Qualification Card, which is a legal requirement when carrying passengers, in addition to the other reasons others have picked up on. Obviously it's the drivers responsibility to make sure that they have the card with them and in other jobs it's not unheard of for drivers to pick up a vehicle at some remote location indeed in some cases drivers take the vehicle home with them. I certainly think it's something bus operators should be considering as surely it's beneficial to both parties.
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