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Great new Lothian Buses 'cycle awareness' video

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    "
    We are part of the 'Streets Ahead' organisation, along with the City of Edinburgh Council, Spokes and Lothian & Borders Police, who meet monthly to discuss road safety in Edinburgh. We also have regular communication with local cycling groups to discuss best practice for all road users, especially bus drivers and cyclists.
    "

    Ten minutes of 'what a bus driver can/can't see'. With an LB employee on a bike PLUS some real people.

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    .

    This is a shortened version of what they show their drivers. I think they need a 'YouTube generation' cut of a minute or two.

    Footage is from an LB Training Bus which has extra outside side cameras.

    http://lothianbuses.com/news/2-general-news/1015-see-and-be-seen-.html

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. Darkerside
    Member

    Worth watching for the beautifully cheesy music and editing if nothing else. Really good though - do their drivers actually drive like that?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. Roibeard
    Member

    Judging by the credits, where both the cyclist and the driver were credited, it was all scripted/staged, so you weren't seeing "real" bad driving.

    I've found LB to be good and courteous on the whole - indeed the bus I was letting out this evening (three cars after he started indicating), insisted I proceed first instead of him!

    Robert

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. Arellcat
    Moderator

    If you look carefully you can see that the bus is yellow, rather than LB's usual hues, so I did wonder if it was staged.

    But it's a very good video. Bus drivers need to think bike, and cyclists need to think massive vehicle. I enjoyed seeing the recommendation of cyclists taking the most visible position on the road and checking to see if the driver can see you back, as that's something I always try to do.

    The music at 4:59 is great. :-)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. Nelly
    Member

    Yep, staged, but good work - I know some think its just because they have cab cameras, but I think their safety work shows in their drivers, had one behind me this morning approaching a bus stop on slateford road - didnt hassle me at all, just slowed down and cruised to the stop.

    A reminder to us perhaps to tweet @on_lothianbuses when we get a decent driver experience.

    Wish FirstBus were half as good.....

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. chdot
    Admin

    "If you look carefully you can see that the bus is yellow, rather than LB's usual hues, so I did wonder if it was staged."

    "Footage is from an LB Training Bus which has extra outside side cameras."

    It was put together to cover a range of examples using an LB cyclist. The women 'wobbling round the pothole' is 'real'.

    "Wish FirstBus were half as good"

    They are intending to improve their training, following LB's example.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. Puzzle
    Member

    Great work LRT!!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. Tulyar
    Member

    First has had an ear bashing from Joan Aitkin the Traffic Commissioner on a few issues lately, so I expect they will be trying a bit harder.

    The Lothian standards go back many years - Charles Evans and earlier still - and it shows in the way the drivers won't pick up or set down other than at a proper bus stop, and other ways they stick to the rules.

    The only detail I think would be good is to show how looking back through the screen you can negotiate about those left turns, and bus stop moves, if necessary you can then pull over to the right so that the bus can slow down alongside rather than have to crawl along behind you.

    Eye contact is the detail they missed

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. Tulyar
    Member

    PS Ian's Brother runs an equally good operation called West Coast Motors in Argyll

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. Dave
    Member

    Crikey, that's awfully good. Quite a lot of it (not 'inviting people to pass' and not doing a dangerous pass just because you can't be bothered to wait) should be compulsory viewing for the general public.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. Uberuce
    Member

    I must send off a thank-you email to the 38 drivers in particular. I'm yet to see them breach that fugly box junction at the bottom of Ashley Terrace, even when the actual junction onto Slateford Road is clear.

    Result of the gentlemanly 38 is that the entire bottom bit of the road becomes an ASZ, which is particularly nice since I'm only just out the house at this stage of the commute and often not completely awake.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    "
    Lothian Buses @on_lothianbuses replied to you:

    on_lothianbuses Lothian Buses

    @CyclingEdin Fantastic news.

    Mar 15, 9:54 AM via web

    In reply to…

    CyclingEdin Cycling Edinburgh

    Positive reviews for @on_lothianbuses new video citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.… #Edinburgh #walking #cycling #CycleSafe #EdTravCyc #BetterEdinburgh

    Mar 15, 8:23 AM via Twitter for iPhone

    "

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. mgj
    Member

    It just goes to show the difference corporate culture can make. Lothian take safety seriously and cyclists view them in a very positive light, such that bad comments are pretty much unheard of. Does anyone think that they and First recruit from a radically different pool of drivers?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  14. fimm
    Member

    I saw this via Facebook last night and thought it was very good. (I wonder where my friend saw it? I wouldn't put her down as a Road Safety Campaigner. Not that it matters.)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  15. Dave
    Member

    There were a couple of things it lacked, I thought, but that might have been hard to film - for instance, the bus always manages to pass the cyclist before cutting in, where in real life, you have to bang on the side of the bus, mount the kerb, or just cross your fingers and hope.

    Really sound stuff though.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  16. wingpig
    Member

    When the only things it can be criticised for are the typography, grammar, punctuation and editing, they've done a great job. Now, everyone forward FirstBus customer services (if such a thing exists) a link to that page.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  17. Instography
    Member

    Oops

    Posted 12 years ago #

  18. Baldcyclist
    Member

    I posted the link to First Bus here:
    http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/contact_us/?id=13

    Maybe we all could?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  19. Baldcyclist
    Member

    Ooh, a quick response from First Bus. This may be too good an opportunity to turn down...

    "Thank you for contacting First via email.

    We invest heavily in driver training at First with safety being a number one priority. So that you can see first hand our training programme we would like to invite you to attend our Training Academy in Livingston. If you can please advise on when you are free we will arrange this for you.

    Kind Regards
    Customer Service"

    Posted 12 years ago #

  20. chdot
    Admin

    http://twitter.com/FirstScotland

    Posted 12 years ago #

  21. wingpig
    Member

    "...our Training Academy in Livingston."

    I'm imagining some sort of giant dodgems rink where trainee bus drivers chase pedestrians and cyclists around, attempting to either knock them down and/or spray foul chemicals into their faces from a hose.

    "We invest heavily in driver training at First with safety being a number one priority."

    Whose?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  22. chdot
    Admin

    "This may be too good an opportunity to turn down"

    Can 'we' all go?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  23. Nelly
    Member

    The biggest problem would actually be cycling out to Livi - on account of all those First Buses thundering along the A71

    Posted 12 years ago #

  24. fimm
    Member

    "magnatom" went to the First training facility in Livigston a while back and blogged about it, I think.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  25. Baldcyclist
    Member

    "Can 'we' all go?"

    Why not, I'll suggest to them that a group of us would like to attend.

    I can ferry some folks through by car if required, or we could turn up en mass on our bikes?

    It may also be a good opportunity to try and get First Bus involved in, or at least show some support for the #POP28 campaign?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  26. Baldcyclist
    Member

    "
    "magnatom" went to the First training facility in Livigston a while back and blogged about it, I think.
    "

    Aye, they seemed to be quite +ve to hime about safety, saying they were always trying to get better etc, they don't really seem to have though in the year or so since he was there?

    "
    The biggest problem would actually be cycling out to Livi - on account of all those First Buses thundering along the A71
    "

    Cycle route 75, goes to within 200m of the Depot, so no bother with traffic. Or there is the more direct route out past Broxburn etc which is also cycle path, again within about 200m of the Depot, but a less interesting cycle (Route 75 is actually ok until you get past Bathgate)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  27. Roibeard
    Member

    For my recent training at St Johns, we simply took the Union canal - not the most direct, but suited the non-cyclist, who managed it despite covering 80 miles over 2 days...

    Robert

    Posted 12 years ago #

  28. fimm
    Member

    Or you can get lots of bikes on the trains, or there's my long bike commute... (I don't use route 75, bits of it are unsuitable for road bikes). (I've no idea where the depot is in Livingston, even though I work here...)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  29. Tom
    Member

    wingpig: "I'm imagining some sort of giant dodgems rink where trainee bus drivers chase pedestrians and cyclists around" Ha! It's a great video and I did notice a bus this morning on the road through Joppa considerately hold back behind me not once but twice through the traffic islands. Sorry I didn't notice which company.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  30. Baldcyclist
    Member

    "
    Thank you for contacting First via email.

    If you contact our Training Manager, __________, on 0870 *** *** arrangements can be put in place for your visit.
    "

    OK, it looks as if First Bus are willing to accommodate a group visit, let me know if you would like to attend such a visit, and we can try and work out preferred times for those wishing to attend.

    Posted 12 years ago #

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