This is, as of this afternoon, not a theoretical question - if two fully-laden buses meet head-on on a single track road, who has the priority? And, more to the point, how is the situation resolved without one of the buses reversing?
Penzance had its annual Running Day today, where twenty or so vintage buses run services to places within ten to fifteen miles of Pz. One such service was to St Just, which utilised the coast road between St Just and Morvah, mostly two-lane but with single track sections of up to about half or threequarters of a mile. The inevitable happened, and the Routemaster I was travelling on with about sixty other passengers met a Bristol VR, with each about 300 yards from their nearest safe backing space. I'm not sure how negotiations were conducted, but the result was that VR and three cars behind it had to back those 300 yards, despite our RM (a) having a conductor to help and (b) not having following traffic.
Perhaps the added age of the RM counted, though I would dispute any 'age before beauty' jibe. Anyway, no passengers were inconvenienced, and the Running Day was a huge success. I have a feeling the timetable will be tweeked a little next year, though!
Reversing example - Transdev Harrogates Route 24 reverses at Birstwith on the public highway with passengers aboard 26 times Mon-Fri and 24 times Sat.
well if nothing else that sound like either bad planning, bad communication or bad adherence to instruction ( or a combination)... ALL routes I have worked where there is a likelihood of 2 buses passing on a narrow section there has always been a strict instruction to wait in a certain safe place until you have passed each other!
in any case your example doesn't prove anything about the law... as you state the RM had a conductor aboard... so having a "company official" aboard should have been the one to reverse... especially seeing as though he didn't have following traffic!
It happens to a lesser extent in Marazion, east of Penzance, all the time, but especially in the summer when there are a few extra journeys per day. You'd think on a basically hourly service you could avoid having two buses on the same route meet each other in places where they can just squeeze past each other, assuming you've got drivers who accept that you might just have to crawl up on to the narrow pavement, but the timetables show that it's all scheduled.
I WAS ASKED ABOUT THIS VERY LEGISLATION ON MY PSV TEST!
When did you take your test?
As mentioned in post 31, the Conduct of Drivers Conductors and Passengers act 1936 was revoked in 1990.
Also, it's PCV - it hasn't been PSV for a driver's licence since 1992. PSV is used to refer to an operators licence nowadays.
Put quite simply it is not only illegal to reverse a bus with passengers on it is highly DANGEROUS as well
Put quite simply it is not only illegal to reverse a bus with passengers on it is highly DANGEROUS as well, especially in tight confined situations such as on twisty single track roads...
Think I might have to call bull.... on that, locally there used to be a bus route that run for many years and part of it involved reversing, with passengers on. I wouldn't be surprised if other forum members also know of places where buses have to reverse as part of their route where it's not in a bus station
Think I might have to call bull.... on that, locally there used to be a bus route that run for many years and part of it involved reversing, with passengers on. I wouldn't be surprised if other forum members also know of places where buses have to reverse as part of their route where it's not in a bus station
try seeing what's directly behind you on an Optare Solo for example....I also have to take issue with your assertion earlier in the thread that it is "highly DANGEROUS" to reverse a bus with passengers on board*.
I'm going to leave this thread now... it appears that everyone is just picking a few words that suit their purpose to attack my views... I have stated what I think the law says about reversing and why, I have also stated how exceptions to that rule came about. I stand by my views until someone who has real legal knowledge tells me otherwise.
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try seeing what's directly behind you on an Optare Solo for example....
try seeing what's directly behind you on an Optare Solo for example....
Have you tried seeing what's directly behind you when driving a lorry? Yet they reverse all the time.
A Solo isn't much worse than an Eclipse Urban, where the only thing visible out of the rear window is the sky, but I've reversed those many times with passengers on, and until recently also had a terminus that required reversing into.
I'm going to leave this thread now... it appears that everyone is just picking a few words that suit their purpose to attack my views... I have stated what I think the law says about reversing and why, I have also stated how exceptions to that rule came about. I stand by my views until someone who has real legal knowledge tells me otherwise.
so now I have to allow alcohol on board? allow fish and chips on board? allow passengers to ride on the platform?
Are you really suggesting that all of these companies are hiding an illegal turn from the TC's, or that every TC in the country is willfully failing to enforce the law? I doubt it.
Have you actually read quarellas post?
There's even a quote from the document linked to, which is revoking The Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Conductors and Passengers) Regulations 1936 and the amendments of 1946, 1975 and 1980.
Driving examiners aren't infallible, like all humans they make mistakes, so I wouldn't treat everything they say as gospel.
Curiously though, when I took my test in 2012, there was no mention anywhere about it being illegal to reverse a service bus with passengers on.
I also have to take issue with your assertion earlier in the thread that it is "highly DANGEROUS" to reverse a bus with passengers on board*. I have done this plenty of times over the past four years, and have never found it to be a particularly dangerous thing to do so long as you are sensible about it. I'd even say it's a bit easier and less dangerous than reversing an HGV, since you have much better visibility, with lots more windows to see out of.
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*Source:
Reversing a bus with passengers on is illegal? Ugh?
Well ....... Derby Bus Station, Barnsley Bus Station, St Andrews Square Edinburgh, Matlock Bus Station .... are amongst the many 'hot spots of illegality' in the UK!
Hastings station, Bletchley bus station... heck, a 14 I was on the other day turned down the wrong street and had to reverse out! Guess I should have 'phoned the traffic police!Reversing a bus with passengers on is illegal? Ugh?
Well ....... Derby Bus Station, Barnsley Bus Station, St Andrews Square Edinburgh, Matlock Bus Station .... are amongst the many 'hot spots of illegality' in the UK!
as a bus driver driving deep rural routes I can sadly confirm that this sort of event is all too common.... it never ceases to amaze me how often a car driver comes hurtling round the bend at 40-50 mph, slams on his anchors when confronted by my bus and then looks at me as if to say "what you gonna do now mate" my answer is simple... if you want to wait for my boss to send someone out to guide me back then I'm happy to reverse... after all the regulations are perfectly clear.
1. you should travel at a speed at which you can safely stop within the distance you can see (hence why buses tend to drive at no more than 20mph on twisty single track roads)
2. it is illegal for a bus to reverse on the public highway with passengers aboard without a company official to guide them.
strangely enough on certain runs at rush hour you tend to meet the same cars driven by the same drivers at the same corners every day with the same gormless look on their face "oh my god it's a bus"
The bit about reversing without a qualified banks person is a myth, it is company policy by many operators but not law. I have 3 separate routes where I have to reverse without assistance and it's been cleared by union etc, one of them is a route run under contract to the City Council, so I would think they would not wish to break the law. These are not at bus stations either, they are cul - de - sacs.
My favourite line, when caught in a stand off (which sometimes is my fault for having a brain fart and not reading the road correctly, and sometimes is the other persons fault) is to apologise and say that there's a problem with the bus and it won't go into reverse, if they question I say it's on it's way back to the depot to be hit. Works most of the time!
so now I have to allow alcohol on board? allow fish and chips on board? allow passengers to ride on the platform?
another common practice of car drivers is to patiently sit behind a bus whilst it is loading/ unloading passengers but the the INSTANT the doors close and the buses' right hand indicator goes on they just HAVE to swerve round the bus to be in front... NO MATTER HOW DANGEROUS AND NO MATTER WHAT IS COMING TOWARDS THEM!
This maybe true of many car drivers, but in the same vain there are also a few bus drivers that need to be taught that the maneuver comes after the signal, not before or during.