# Bus Route, Police etc.



## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

Apologies for the ambiguous thread title but it is a bit of strange scenario.

To give you some background, I live on a small road with a large school situated in an adjacent road. None of the residents are any illusions about school kids etc so this is not so much a case of "not in my back yard" but for me a genuine question someone on here may be able to answer.

To try and disperse the pupils from the school, two double decker buses turn up at 15.20, turn around and wait along my road. To be honest there's a number of reasons why it's a bad idea but to give you context.

Here is the island the buses turn round....










..and on the left (by the lady on the pavement) the two buses park and wait.










I'll be honest, it's a bit of a weird one. The bus stops shown are marked out for a single decker bus which goes round the houses (lots of elderly) and are only active Mon-Sat, they're not marked as for the school bus.

Anyway, moving on to yesterday afternoon. My other half sends me a couple of pictures of a situation which unfolded leaving a bus beached and blocking the junction for around 2 hours!



















The driver decided that rather than reverse or try and take it wider, he'd drive over the island and get stuck. Genius!

Here's my question though. The bus driver kicked off at a chap who was moving in to a new house and had parked his car outside his house (just in front of where the blue Clio is in the first picture). He shouted at the guy for "parking on a f*cking bus route" and the poor guy was called an f-ing C by one of the recovery guys because he dared to answer back to being had a go at. They were adamant it was all his fault!

According to a couple of sources I was told that the bus drivers should try and find the owner of a car if it is in the way and if they can't to contact the Police who will. I can't help finding this really odd as there are no parking restrictions (except the bus stops themselves) so what can the Police actually do? What if someone is on holiday, will they tow the vehicle away? The road has no indications that this bus service even exists on this route so can't even argue that the bus stops show the bus number.

Apologies for the long winded post, I just thought I'd call on the knowledge of DW to see if there were any answers. Can a bus company simply spring up a route, not place markings/restrictions/signage and then blame people who are parked in their way or have them towed?


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

No they cant just spring one up I once had an incident with a bus pull out without indicating I was on the grass to get past without accident, Bus driver said when I stopped and said he did not need to use his indicators this was a main A road not in town, he was aggressive so I called the cops they said what is the guys name and what company we will be paying them a visit, that made my day.
If he parked on a bus stop or double lines than yes its a problem if he was blocking the route then the driver should use common sense if he had any to get car moved , that's my take on it.
No offence to bus drivers but that guy could easily see that was not going to work


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## audi mike (Jan 25, 2017)

The highway code does say you are not supposed to park within 10m of a junction so looking at your pictures there should be no cars parked where the clio is

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## kingswood (Jun 23, 2016)

He can park there all day long as there's no markings at all. I'm surprised that parents picking their kids up don't park along there as it seems kids no longer have legs. 

Regarding the parking on a bus route don't they out double red lines like in London so you can't stop at all? Can't see it been a bus route have any bearing on where you park, it's the single/double yellows that dictate if you can park or not? 


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

In terms of the parents parking, the school is actually well past the the island, at the end of the road and on the right. The irony is the parents park far closer than the school busses do. 

I see the point about the parking near the junction, highway code and all that and can't disagree although that said, in terms of the size of the island and parking along that stretch on the right. Where that neighbour was parked would potentially be within the law. 

Slight digression though as my question is more related to affect it has on a bus route that's not officially there.


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## nbray67 (Mar 22, 2012)

The bus driver must be at fault as he's deliberately driven over the island.

The road is basically to small for buses to be doing those kind of turns.

Surely, if it was a designated island for them to go around, it would be marked up like a roundabout and dble yellow lines on the road adjacent to it.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

In my book, the bus driver has been driving without due care and attention, at the very minimum. Why would he have tried to turn across that island when anyone with any degree of competence would have known the bus wouldn't make that turn. 

Cooks 

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## andy665 (Nov 1, 2005)

As has already been said, should not really be parking directly opposite a junction but when I have challenged a police officer patrolling outside my sons scool I was told that that was "merely advisory" - to be honest I don't think he knew or cared what the law actually is

Definitely not a bus route and someone being parked opposite a junction does not get away from the fact that the bus driver was a dick


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## kingswood (Jun 23, 2016)

audi mike said:


> The highway code does say you are not supposed to park within 10m of a junction so looking at your pictures there should be no cars parked where the clio is
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk


True but has anyone ever got a ticket for doin so in a residential area?

They could make a killing near me! Looking at the pic they seems to be more than enough space for traffic.

Doesn't make it right I know but if the council think there's an issue they will yellow line it. Like they have near some of the junctions on my lego land estate

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## macca666 (Mar 30, 2010)

Although the bus driver is clearly a fool and I'd say he's at fault for this I'd also agree with audi mike in that the Clio driver is committing an offence by parking opposite or within 10m of a junction unless in an authorised parking space ie a disabled bay.


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## Jonnybbad (Jun 12, 2013)

being a bus driver myself I can honestly say that is a shocking bit of driving and as a professional driver he should have been able to deal with the clio being parked there without the need to drive in such a manner leading to him ending up like that

I would think at the very least the driver will be paying a visit to the managers office to explain his actions and may even be sent back to the training school for an assessment or corrective training or he may even be dismissed 

It's also not exactly cheap to have to send a recovery firm to get the bus unstuck from that island plus the company I'm sure will have to pay for the damage cause which will not go down well with company


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

The offence is 'causing an obstruction', you don't need lines on the road to be classed as causing one. 

Trouble is it's an interpretation of the officer as to whether it's an obstruction or not.


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

If someone wearing a uniform, and driving a works vehicle called me a "****ing ****", or accused me of parking on a "****ing bus route" I'd be getting the uncouth yob the sack.


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## MagpieRH (May 27, 2014)

I'd imagine this will lead to a discussion between the school, the residents and the bus company, and may well lead to them finding an alternative waiting point. As above though, I'd be fuming at that kind of language being hurled at me, and having words with the company who employ him. I'd suggest your neighbour does the same (if he hasn't already). I hope somebody was there to back him up, because however poor his parking may or may not have been, it's still the bus driver who's beached his bus, and it's still his fault it's ended up there.


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

nbray67 said:


> The bus driver must be at fault as he's deliberately driven over the island.
> 
> The road is basically to small for buses to be doing those kind of turns.
> 
> Surely, if it was a designated island for them to go around, it would be marked up like a roundabout and dble yellow lines on the road adjacent to it.


This is something residents have tried taking up that the road is small by comparison to a double decker bus that is.

The island is not a roundabout, never has been it's just a way of diverting the traffic left and right where the two roads join. It just so happens the busses use it as a roundabout when it's tight without someone parking there.

The trouble is that for every other kind of vehicle, parking along that stretch of road causes no obstruction. Even the junction itself is one road that splits in two so literally no other vehicles turns the way the busses do. Cars will go left from where the bus turned right. The busses have to take up both sides of the road to get around it.

As with many residential areas, people have parked this way for years without issue. Same as narrow roads where parking on pavements is ignored.

It's hard to gauge from the pictures but even with cars parked along that stretch cars can still pass each other in the main part.



MagpieRH said:


> I'd imagine this will lead to a discussion between the school, the residents and the bus company, and may well lead to them finding an alternative waiting point. As above though, I'd be fuming at that kind of language being hurled at me, and having words with the company who employ him. I'd suggest your neighbour does the same (if he hasn't already). I hope somebody was there to back him up, because however poor his parking may or may not have been, it's still the bus driver who's beached his bus, and it's still his fault it's ended up there.


100% agree mate, sadly I wasn't there but if I had been i would have done. My partner was getting ready for a nightshift so wasn't in a position to go outside.

Felt bad for the poor guy, literally just moved in yesterday and already got grief. I went round to say hi and have a chat about that at the same time.

He's a fellow Merc owner which is nice :lol:


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

Not a Bus Route... Bus Driver at Fault... Driving without Due Care and Attention. If you can't get past an object that is parked legally you can't just drive over a bloody island! Bus driver is a knob.


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## Alfa male (Jun 16, 2009)

robertdon777 said:


> Not a Bus Route... Bus Driver at Fault... Driving without Due Care and Attention. If you can't get past an object that is parked legally you can't just drive over a bloody island! Bus driver is a knob.


Nicely and succinctly put. You are correct on all your points.

To add most bus operators operate polices that buses are not permitted to reverse without banksmen present to escort them due to increased risk of running someone or something over.

This does result in situations where buses will sit and wait for an official banksman to arrive to rescue them when they get stuck. I've seen this occur several times!


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

audi mike said:


> The highway code does say you are not supposed to park within 10m of a junction so looking at your pictures there should be no cars parked where the clio is
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk


Quite correct, but its not the Law, just an advisory Highway Code rule. It could be considered in Court as part of a bigger picture, but you cannot be prosecuted for that alone.

In this situation, its the fault of the bus driver in not taking sufficient account of the size of his vehicle when attempting to negotiate a junction / bend. So its driving without due care and attention.

If he had realised, he could have asked the Police for help with the cars, but they would have only rung doorbells and asked " Would you please assist by moving your car ?"


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

Alfa male said:


> To add most bus operators operate polices that buses are not permitted to reverse without banksmen present to escort them due to increased risk of running someone or something over.


I have heard this before as well. Also there was something about the legality of reversing but it only applied to if they had passengers on board. Not sure how true that is and the busses arrive empty anyway.

Also, when there has been a vehicle parked there I have witnessed busses reversing so policy or not, some of their drivers do it. I have actually been on one of their busses at a point where another came through a narrow point. Bus driver whacked it in reverse and backed up like she was driving a car. :roll eyes:

Just for clarity, here's a top down view of the road.










As you can see, it's actually quite a large junction which would be a t-junction that due to a curve in the road they must have added the island.

This shows that even with a row of cars parked along where the Clio is, it doesn't hinder the way the junction is designed. If anything, no one turns right out of the top part of the junction as anyone that is turning comes down to the lower part. If that makes sense.


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

I could have got round there with a lot bigger than that bus if it did not bottom out with the slope that is plenty of space to take that bus round both ways or a little manoeuvre with a small reverse would have done it no need for going on the island at all


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

Derekh929 said:


> I could have got round there with a lot bigger than that bus if it did not bottom out with the slope that is plenty of space to take that bus round both ways or a little manoeuvre with a small reverse would have done it no need for going on the island at all


I don't doubt it mate.  Especially considering that two busses turn up and the first one got round it no problem. That was with three vehicles parked up from where the blue car is.

Second driver seemed to have a chip on his shoulder and though "Sod it, I'll just drive over it". Bit him in the ar$e though. :lol:


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## Rayaan (Jun 1, 2014)

Don't understand why he decided to go around the island - surely thats going to be a problem as the angle is tighter than if he just went from before the island. 

The junction is massive - truck drivers can get around that nevermind a double decker bus


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## Banksy40 (Sep 5, 2012)

I thought the point of those junctions was so you didnt have to do sharp right hand turns.

Is there not another way the bus could get to the stop without having to go right round the junction (ie the way probably every other service bus goes?)

Round here the schools have a contract with the bus companies, might be worth having a word with them and making them aware of the language used by the driver.


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## K777mk2 (Jun 30, 2016)

The bus isn't using it as a roundabout its two junctions, which he is entitled to do.

But.

He has cut the T on both junctions ( 4 points for undue care - trust me I know i once did it under the nose of plod).
But further than that he's driven off road intentionally cutting the island - in a vehicle that size - is he completely mental ? And hes about to laod up with a load of peoples kids ?
Just because theres an obstruction doesn't give him the right to do what ever he wants.

He should lose his job at the very least.

I let buses out so many times, yet many just thunder around trying to squeeze you off the road. Not an easy job, but even so.


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## Mark R5 (May 21, 2013)

There's no way in hell that the owner of the car is at fault. Not in my opinion anyway. If I turned up I wouldn't be looking at the owner of the car for causing this issue. Unless there are restrictions i.e. double yellows and the like telling him not to park there then he can park wherever is legal to do so and a car length or two in front of the Clio in the first picture looks fine to me. 

The bus driver has committed his own offences, these being either S.5 or S.4 public order act offences. Not to mention his sheer unprofessional approach to the issue. He's the professional driver and as correctly pointed out perhaps should be taking the issue back to the bus company and school rather than beaching a double decker on a junction...


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## bradleymarky (Nov 29, 2013)

Double deckers are actually smaller in length than most single deckers so the driver shouldn't have had any problems negotiating that junction. The only way he would have to cut the corner if the Clio was directly on his near side, the tail end swing of a bus at full lock is enormous and would have hit the Clio.


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## Alfa male (Jun 16, 2009)

Rayaan said:


> Don't understand why he decided to go around the island - surely thats going to be a problem as the angle is tighter than if he just went from before the island.
> 
> The junction is massive - truck drivers can get around that nevermind a double decker bus


Actually a rigid bus has a worse turning circle than the an articulated lorry


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