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Bus Driver Listening to Music

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lxfe_mxtterz

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Apologies if this question has been asked before.

Whilst travelling on the bus today, I noticed how the driver happened to be listening to music whilst driving. At first, I assumed the music was being played by the passenger sitting across the aisle from where I was sitting (seat directly behind the driver), but once they'd got off, the music persisted and so I concluded it must've been coming from the driver - it did sound like it was coming from the front of the bus!

Are bus drivers allowed to do this? (Not that I'd deliberately want to get him into trouble for this, as he was friendly and was doing his job well!)

Thanks in advance. :)
 
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Flange Squeal

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I think as long as the operator/vehicle has a valid music performance licence, and it’s not played in such a way (eg volume) it could be considered a distraction to the driver, then I don’t believe there’s any legal issue with playing live radio or recorded music. I’m not aware of many bus companies that do it though. I *think* I read once that Jim Stones (near Manchester?) do/did, but I’m not local so can’t verify.
 

lxfe_mxtterz

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I think as long as the operator/vehicle has a valid music performance licence, and it’s not played in such a way (eg volume) it could be considered a distraction to the driver, then I don’t believe there’s any legal issue with playing live radio or recorded music. I’m not aware of many bus companies that do it though. I *think* I read once that Jim Stones (near Manchester?) do/did, but I’m not local so can’t verify.
Ah, that makes sense. Thank you for the response. I was just curious as I'd never witnessed something like this before!
 

175mph

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I remember hearing Adele's 'Rolling In The Deep' when on a bus route in town operated by a local company and it was clearly coming from the driver's cab. First ever time I heard that song too.
 

NorthernSpirit

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I've had a driver one Sunday who had the Tour De France live on the radio, no passengers complained we were also happy to hear what the result was.

Once travelled from Ilkley to Leeds on the X84 and a passenger who got on at Otley with his asked everyone if they wanted to hear the England match, in which most said yeah. The entire bus was silent, even the driver wasn't bothered as he too wanted to know the score was as he forgot his radio.
 

Simon75

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Years ago, didn't National Express play movies on some of their coaches?
 
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notadriver

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In London it’s prohibited. You’ll be on report from the gestapo (tfl inspectors). In fact even looking at a tfl inspector the wrong way could land you in trouble with the law.
 

robk23oxf

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I'm pretty sure when Stagecoach ran the Brookes Bus in Oxford they played Fox FM (now Heart Oxford) on the buses, it was some kind of sponsorship agreement.
 

Adtrainsam

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My regular bus driver plays the radio on the bus and some other drivers do as well, I think as long as the music is not offensive or reduces concentration of the driver, it should be fine
 

Busaholic

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Only come across this once that I can remember. London bus, route 3, waiting at Brixton Underground station when it turned up empty in the p.m. peak, evidently having started from round the corner. I was so pleased I was willing to overlook the driver's blaring music which was leaking from his headphones and continued as we went along, such that would have been entirely deaf to anything going on around him or should his control have called (this was before ibus.) Can't say I was impressed.
 

anthony263

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Our easyway buses are all fitted with radios. Usually have me listening to apple music especially when I'm driving the 88 service in Barry and have no passengers on like this afternoon funnily enough after 3pm
 

Trainfan2019

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I've seen bus drivers playing radios in their cabs many times over the years. Not seen it recently though.
 

philthetube

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In London it’s prohibited. You’ll be on report from the gestapo (tfl inspectors). In fact even looking at a tfl inspector the wrong way could land you in trouble with the law.

True but have a look at drivers right ears, you will find quite a few Bluetooth earphones in use, usually black coloured ones.
 

Volvodart

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Some bus drivers in Aberdeen used to have radios playing in the cab for a long time, but I seem to remember was banned. I am unsure if it was due to the licence required, as I think a Dart had a radio station playing over the speakers at one time and it was stopped.
 

GusB

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Some bus drivers in Aberdeen used to have radios playing in the cab for a long time, but I seem to remember was banned. I am unsure if it was due to the licence required, as I think a Dart had a radio station playing over the speakers at one time and it was stopped.
Funny you should mention that. I recall that quite a few Grampian drivers listened to radios in the cab, and it never bothered me. It was usually football coverage that I remember hearing, but it was back in Atlantean days, so quite a while back.
 

Ianno87

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I'm pretty sure when Stagecoach ran the Brookes Bus in Oxford they played Fox FM (now Heart Oxford) on the buses, it was some kind of sponsorship agreement.

Stagecoach in Warwickshire buses plying the U1 between Leamington and Warwick University had radio speakers fitted throughout in about 2005-2008. Rarely used though.
 

paddington

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I took bus route 1 in Gibraltar and the driver's radio was set to the highest volume, but she was chatting even more loudly with the passengers (who appeared to not be genuine passengers but just her friends sitting in the bus all day).
 

wazztie16

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I'm sure the X38 night buses run by Trent Barton used to have music playing through speakers on the bus, it was stopped and passengers wanted it to return but I don't travel on them and don't think it did come back, from what I saw on social media.
 

Bletchleyite

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I'm sure the X38 night buses run by Trent Barton used to have music playing through speakers on the bus, it was stopped and passengers wanted it to return but I don't travel on them and don't think it did come back, from what I saw on social media.

Problem is cost - you need a PRS licence per vehicle which is quite hefty.
 

Jordan Adam

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Some bus drivers in Aberdeen used to have radios playing in the cab for a long time, but I seem to remember was banned. I am unsure if it was due to the licence required, as I think a Dart had a radio station playing over the speakers at one time and it was stopped.
Funny you should mention that. I recall that quite a few Grampian drivers listened to radios in the cab, and it never bothered me. It was usually football coverage that I remember hearing, but it was back in Atlantean days, so quite a while back.

There's a First Aberdeen driver who still does play their radio normally on BBC Radio 5 Live.
 

Weemidi135

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Traffic commissioner would have your licence off you if you had a crash while listening to a personal radio so most big companies it’s a no no
 

Martin2012

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I remember hearing the news that the BBC were going to stop showing Neighbours on board an NX coach where the driver had the radio on!
 

njlawley

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I think as long as the operator/vehicle has a valid music performance licence, and it’s not played in such a way (eg volume) it could be considered a distraction to the driver, then I don’t believe there’s any legal issue with playing live radio or recorded music. I’m not aware of many bus companies that do it though. I *think* I read once that Jim Stones (near Manchester?) do/did, but I’m not local so can’t verify.

Jim Stones indeed does fit radios to his bus fleet, in lieu of their drivers being responsible for cleaning the buses inside and out at the end of the day.

There are radios fitted to some of the Go South Coast fleet, particularly on the Vectis Blue fleet and some of the Unibus fleet (which I think was done more for uni private hires).
 

Alexbus12

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I think as long as the operator/vehicle has a valid music performance licence, and it’s not played in such a way (eg volume) it could be considered a distraction to the driver, then I don’t believe there’s any legal issue with playing live radio or recorded music. I’m not aware of many bus companies that do it though. I *think* I read once that Jim Stones (near Manchester?) do/did, but I’m not local so can’t verify.

Yeah they do, but it's only quiet when in service, a bit louder at the terminus when the driver has a few minutes to spare.
 

Deerfold

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Jim Stones indeed does fit radios to his bus fleet, in lieu of their drivers being responsible for cleaning the buses inside and out at the end of the day.

I don't understand this. How do you install radios instead of drivers cleaning? Do the radios magically clean the buses?
 
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