"Stagecoach is to introduce the UK's first in-house cycle awareness programme for bus drivers."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-22079941
Maybe they've got a time machine and are going back before LB started training?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
another first (not?) for stagecoach
(13 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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city link are the worst in my experience. Dont know why but they all seem to drive aggressively. All of them. They'll kill someone.
Dont like megabus, stagecoach or airport express in that order.
lothian buses are chalk and chees in comparison.
Posted 12 years ago # -
You can also tell when a City Link bus is approaching on Princes Street by the roaring engine just before it flies past at 40mph. Perhaps it's a 'safety feature'.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Sloppy Press Release and sloppier reporting. For past 4 years there has been EU requirement for bus driver vocational training and almost all include cyclist awareness.
This is a) 1500 drivers employed in London, and it is b) cycle training - is teaching drivers how to ride bikes.
Depends on who is contractor but when on Parks Citylink coaches I suspect you get the young bloods who haven't calmed down enough to drive on a tour. Had to report a couple for dangerous behaviour when driving and me a passenger!.
Posted 12 years ago # -
City Link bus is approaching on Princes Street by the roaring engine just before it flies past at 40mph.
I recognize this. Closely followed by a billowing cloud of dust/salt/crisp pokes in its slipstream.
suspect you get the young bloods who haven't calmed down
I think this is right, but sadly not age related.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Think Citylink drivers trained for the motorway and given precious little training for the city centres. Not so much a problem in Glasgow where they just have to get from M8 to Buchananan Street, however they have 7 miles of not-motorway to navigate in Edinburgh and just keep their foot down regardless.
Fortunately they don't have to turn much, as I'm not sure they're aware how their long wheelbase buses with the rear-axle steer actually handle round a tight bend.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I think that the other issue the city link/stage coach drivers might have is their timetable. Must be nigh on impossible to accurately set a timetable when you have 45 miles of M8 to factor in. At least with city centre buses a route will usually always take the same time. I do agree though that they seem overly aggressive and less likely to think of cyclists, i've had personal experience of them suddenly stopping or pulling out or sitting in the bus lane indicating to pull out and not moving and the rather frightening one where the bus decided it liked my lane more than the one it was in while i was between the front and rear wheels! Luckily I had the left filter lane of the roundabout approach to bail into.
Posted 12 years ago # -
One reason I'm glad I no longer commute along St Johns road. Between them, the Fife Buses and the West Lothian
KamikazesFirst Buses it was getting genuinely worrying.Posted 12 years ago # -
When I was riding out to Fife I'd interact with 20+ Lothian buses and one or two Stagecoach at most, and I'd say 99.9% of my issues were with Stagecoach - speaks volumes.
It should be compulsory training for bus drivers to cycle past a bus which starts pulling out into busy traffic (or to be on the inside of a bus which half overtakes then moves into the kerb).
Posted 12 years ago # -
One of my greatest grumbles with buses is when they are pulled in to stop and you begin to pass. As you are almost passed, the driver will set off. Rather than let you pass and in front, they will keep pace and ultimately win the battle of acceleration when it passes 20mph. You are then left in the less desirable position of being in the "car" lane, probably with a string of traffic up your tail, and no way to pass the bus beyond waiting for it to undertake you and then pulling in.
Of course you usually pick the bus up at the next stop and then once you're passed don't see it again. It's immensley frustrating, not to mention dangerous.
Posted 12 years ago # -
re the warning given by noisy engines on some buses, Lothian Buses have some new hybrid buses which include a range of new features such as engine-off at idle and silent take-off. They will be holding an event with these this Saturday, 13/04/13 on Castle Street in Edinburgh from 1100-1500.
Posted 12 years ago # -
When passing buses, I try to predict when they will set off by looking at the passengers getting on. This gives an earlier warning than the driver's indicators.
Last passenger has just got on = Wait behind.
1 or more passengers to get on = OK to go.Of course, this means you have to look from quite far back, as you are pulling out gradually anyway (which restricts you view of the passengers getting on)
Posted 12 years ago # -
I agree edd1e_h, it's what I always try to do as well. Always good practise to plan ahead even trying this I still get caught by the City link bus just before Drum Brae roundabout and also just outside the Marriot at Gogar as they indicate but don't move or decide to shoot
Posted 12 years ago #
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