Boarding/Alighting

[Ginger66]

I tried to alight (disembark) the bus this evening on the 40 bus operated by Diamond West Midlands and the idiot driver parked a good two foot away from the kerb.

I asked the driver if he could park any closer to the path and the idiot of a driver said no as the was a van in front and behind and it was the only area he could park.

I tried explaining how our elderly,  passengers with pushchairs or wheelchairs supposed to board/alight safely.

Surely the Diamond driver is wrong as he a responsibility for passenger safety and I didn't feel safe to alight he needed to rectify the issue 

[Tony]

I tried to alight (disembark) the bus this evening on the 40 bus operated by Diamond West Midlands and the idiot driver parked a good two foot away from the kerb.

I asked the driver if he could park any closer to the path and the idiot of a driver said no as the was a van in front and behind and it was the only area he could park.

I tried explaining how our elderly,  passengers with pushchairs or wheelchairs supposed to board/alight safely.

Surely the Diamond driver is wrong as he a responsibility for passenger safety and I didn't feel safe to alight he needed to rectify the issue

If in the driver's view, he pulled in, it wouldn't leave enough room for him to pull out safely from the van parked in front, then he is required to stop in the safest place. I presume you have not driven a bus.

[Westy]

It was bad down our road at times, thanks to certain of our neighbours parking both his work van & his private car in the road, taking up 2 spaces, which with the next door house to them, also having to fit 5 cars (& failing!) in their own drive. 

So at least one of those 5 cars is having to park on the pavement outside on occasion as well!

Why the guy with the work van & private car cannot convert his front garden into a drive for one vehicle is a puzzle, especially as his neighbours,  including us, converted their own gardens to driveways?

You still got people parking right by the bus stop, which prevented the bus using the stop correctly. (When we had a bus service!)

[Stu]

If in the driver's view, he pulled in, it wouldn't leave enough room for him to pull out safely from the van parked in front, then he is required to stop in the safest place. I presume you have not driven a bus.

There's been a few occasions in the past while travelling to work in the morning, where one of the regular YW drivers has been 'buddying up' with a new recruit to do some 'live' route learning.

The city-bound stop at Esme Road (on the 2/3 route) usually has parked cars ahead/behind it, and the senior driver advised exactly above to the 'newbie': if you can't pull safely into the kerb, then you've got no choice but to stop as close as you can, so as 'not to give yourself trouble' when pulling back out. With the addition that if you have to do this, lower the platform as much as you can.

[Tony]

There's been a few occasions in the past while travelling to work in the morning, where one of the regular YW drivers has been 'buddying up' with a new recruit to do some 'live' route learning.

The city-bound stop at Esme Road (on the 2/3 route) usually has parked cars ahead/behind it, and the senior driver advised exactly above to the 'newbie': if you can't pull safely into the kerb, then you've got no choice but to stop as close as you can, so as 'not to give yourself trouble' when pulling back out. With the addition that if you have to do this, lower the platform as much as you can.

Yes, It is not just a case of can you miss the obstruction in front, if you need to use a full right lock to get out there is the risk of the rear swiping pavement furniture or even worse a pedestrian.

[karl724223]

Another one that's never drove a large vechcle with front and rear overhang

[Lukeee]

I tried to alight (disembark) the bus this evening on the 40 bus operated by Diamond West Midlands and the idiot driver parked a good two foot away from the kerb.

I asked the driver if he could park any closer to the path and the idiot of a driver said no as the was a van in front and behind and it was the only area he could park.

I tried explaining how our elderly,  passengers with pushchairs or wheelchairs supposed to board/alight safely.

Surely the Diamond driver is wrong as he a responsibility for passenger safety and I didn't feel safe to alight he needed to rectify the issue

Having drove the 40 route for Diamond I can assure you that some of the parking on certain roads means its almost impossible to get right up to the kerb at some stops.

[Ginger66]

Having drove the 40 route for Diamond I can assure you that some of the parking on certain roads means its almost impossible to get right up to the kerb at some stops.

I think the council needs to paint bus stop bays at the bus stops so it is easy for the bus drivers to pull in

[Lukeee]

I think the council needs to paint bus stop bays at the bus stops so it is easy for the bus drivers to pull in

Agree with you there, however the problem is how well will it be enforced 

[Tony]

It doesn't always help. There's several 40ft yellow boxes painted on the road at bus stops, but if parking is allowed either side you still cannot get a bus to the kerb. A much better solution is building kerbs out between parking bays like they have done in several places. That means buses can get to the kerb and also increases parking spots.