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Post by Paul on Nov 20, 2024 20:08:21 GMT
I had no idea this was happening. It was the reported abuse of the hail and ride system that deterred me from route learning the 336 but with fixed stops in place I might reconsider As an occasional passenger on the 336 it appears to me that sections of the route are extremely tight for even a small bus. This is a combination of the roads themselves, parking (most of it lawful) and other physical constraints. When hopeful passengers wait on every corner and sometimes between this can compromise safety and timekeeping. One or two on board have become annoyed when the driver failed to stop at their gates and instead carried on to the next street corner. TfL "Hail & Ride" often means "stopping at corners or timetable cases without flags" rather than "anywhere safe". In some sections there simply isn't a truly safe option and kerbside boarding / alighting is not the option it should be. This isn't the first H&R section to switch to fixed stops. It won't be the last. As a driver I detested H&R as there was an expectation by users of it being a taxi service (literally door to door) and we certainly did get some abuse for not pulling in the moment we got a bell. I didn't enjoy having to answer to management who argued the point about locations being "safe". That should always be left to the driver's professional judgement; they are the one on the spot on the day. Management can take a look at the location but a parked car might have moved, other road traffic may well be different and what seems safe at one moment may well not be at another. Tight roads don’t bother me - I did the R5/R10 for five years and I’d go back on that in a second if Stagecoach won them back. It’s the ‘door to door’ H&R service that you describe that bothers me. The 5/10s are H&R over almost all of the country loop (there are a handful of fixed stops in Knockholt Pound and Halstead) and the relatively small pool of drivers on the route knew exactly where each passenger wanted to board and alight. That version of H&R is far more palatable to me but H&R simply doesn’t work in a built up residential area and I know that I would get extremely annoyed stopping every few seconds. |
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Post by I-Azusio-I on Nov 20, 2024 20:48:40 GMT
I had no idea this was happening. It was the reported abuse of the hail and ride system that deterred me from route learning the 336 but with fixed stops in place I might reconsider As an occasional passenger on the 336 it appears to me that sections of the route are extremely tight for even a small bus. This is a combination of the roads themselves, parking (most of it lawful) and other physical constraints. When hopeful passengers wait on every corner and sometimes between this can compromise safety and timekeeping. One or two on board have become annoyed when the driver failed to stop at their gates and instead carried on to the next street corner. TfL "Hail & Ride" often means "stopping at corners or timetable cases without flags" rather than "anywhere safe". In some sections there simply isn't a truly safe option and kerbside boarding / alighting is not the option it should be. This isn't the first H&R section to switch to fixed stops. It won't be the last. As a driver I detested H&R as there was an expectation by users of it being a taxi service (literally door to door) and we certainly did get some abuse for not pulling in the moment we got a bell. I didn't enjoy having to answer to management who argued the point about locations being "safe". That should always be left to the driver's professional judgement; they are the one on the spot on the day. Management can take a look at the location but a parked car might have moved, other road traffic may well be different and what seems safe at one moment may well not be at another. I couldn't imagine routes like 336, 394 (the Hoxton backstreets are extremely tight. Still a great route though!) or other similar SD routes being actioned today with all the health & safety measures that have been put in place by TFL now. |
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Post by gwiwer on Nov 21, 2024 14:25:24 GMT
As an occasional passenger on the 336 it appears to me that sections of the route are extremely tight for even a small bus. This is a combination of the roads themselves, parking (most of it lawful) and other physical constraints. When hopeful passengers wait on every corner and sometimes between this can compromise safety and timekeeping. One or two on board have become annoyed when the driver failed to stop at their gates and instead carried on to the next street corner. TfL "Hail & Ride" often means "stopping at corners or timetable cases without flags" rather than "anywhere safe". In some sections there simply isn't a truly safe option and kerbside boarding / alighting is not the option it should be. This isn't the first H&R section to switch to fixed stops. It won't be the last. As a driver I detested H&R as there was an expectation by users of it being a taxi service (literally door to door) and we certainly did get some abuse for not pulling in the moment we got a bell. I didn't enjoy having to answer to management who argued the point about locations being "safe". That should always be left to the driver's professional judgement; they are the one on the spot on the day. Management can take a look at the location but a parked car might have moved, other road traffic may well be different and what seems safe at one moment may well not be at another. I couldn't imagine routes like 336, 394 (the Hoxton backstreets are extremely tight. Still a great route though!) or other similar SD routes being actioned today with all the health & safety measures that have been put in place by TFL now. They would be better served by very small buses such as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Those offer the required step-free access but are significantly smaller than even a short Solo or E200. For social provision there is no reason to abandon the routes however they do require more suitable vehicles. |
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Post by DT 11 on Nov 21, 2024 14:43:02 GMT
I had no idea this was happening. It was the reported abuse of the hail and ride system that deterred me from route learning the 336 but with fixed stops in place I might reconsider As an occasional passenger on the 336 it appears to me that sections of the route are extremely tight for even a small bus. This is a combination of the roads themselves, parking (most of it lawful) and other physical constraints. When hopeful passengers wait on every corner and sometimes between this can compromise safety and timekeeping. One or two on board have become annoyed when the driver failed to stop at their gates and instead carried on to the next street corner. TfL "Hail & Ride" often means "stopping at corners or timetable cases without flags" rather than "anywhere safe". In some sections there simply isn't a truly safe option and kerbside boarding / alighting is not the option it should be. This isn't the first H&R section to switch to fixed stops. It won't be the last. As a driver I detested H&R as there was an expectation by users of it being a taxi service (literally door to door) and we certainly did get some abuse for not pulling in the moment we got a bell. I didn't enjoy having to answer to management who argued the point about locations being "safe". That should always be left to the driver's professional judgement; they are the one on the spot on the day. Management can take a look at the location but a parked car might have moved, other road traffic may well be different and what seems safe at one moment may well not be at another. I don’t miss doing Hail & Ride to be honest. Ignore and Ride because some people have this expectation and entitlement that you must stop anywhere even if it is unsafe plus then you have people that wait a few yards between each other when they can just wait in the same place on Route 336. I have driven down my car down Brookhowse Road and used the 336 down there many times and I like that new bus stops many of them are lay-by stops where the council have now altered the pavements. The most ridiculous experience for me doing Hail & Ride was on Route 301 someone was waiting in the woods on Brampton Road for the bus… No way did I stop there! B13 I must admit the majority of passengers waited in the same places all the time so it was easy one passenger tried to argue with me on Green Lane telling me where I should stop and claims she’s been using B13 for all these years… load of BS then she shpd know it’s Hail & Ride. I said it’s Hail & Ride means I can stop anywhere safe honestly talking cargo time wasters some people are… Although not Hail & Ride related yesterday 4 passengers attempted to board my 432 when exiting Stockwell Park Walk when I was still halfway in the road 🙄 made them all walk back to the bus stop and the looks I got from them when they got on! Event on yesterday at Brixton Academy so there was a bit of traffic. It is worse when you stop far back and people who have not seen the bus want to get on so I stop at the flag especially at Brixton Station where entitled people wave hand signals for you stop stop further up so they can be the first on… |
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