Do you have any views on local buses?

[KCS]

Dedicated school buses are a brilliant idea - while there's much to criticise about the US, the yellow school bus is a winner! Not so long ago there was talk of introducing them in the UK - I wonder what happened? As others have said, they would mitigate the effects of the school run (thus cutting carbon emissions) and ease crowding for everyone else. If anyone from TfL is out there, perhaps they could tell us!

annabel, there are dedicated school buses, they are red double deckers with dedicated numbers run only during school opening/closing times

I dont know who operates the routes in Sydenham though.

[KCS]

Anyway...2 x 202's pulled into the Bus Station only to turn their lights off and put up their 'out of service' on and drive back down CP Parade. The next 202 was some 30 minutes away and it was really, really pouring with rain. I wasn't in a rush or the like but it was only roughly 7.30 in the evening. I've had this problem at many different times and on many different days with the 202.

Both 202's had either finished or were on a meal relief and therefore were heading back to Catford Garage, of course one of those 202's was running late hence why there were two instead of one. It's very rare a running late 202 would be running 'light' from CP due to the amount of passengers at CP needing a 202.

Since those buses were finished and heading back to Catford Garage they would be replaced by 2 more buses who had just finished their meal relief, why you were waiting 30 Min's is beyond me as they run every 12 Min's at that time of night.

Sometimes 12 Min's feels like 30 Min's

[leaf]

hmmm,the 202,ive on several occasions been unceremoniously dumped at syd rd just before newlands park rd because...get this,the buses were running behind and needed to catch up with the timetable!

had to walk home in the dark[not that late,but still]only to see the 202 whizz up westwood hill and while i was walking up kirkdale coming back down,of course keeping to the timetable is obviously paramount,bus passengers arent that important are they?

What about the passengers waiting at the palace for the 202 that's running late ?

Believe me Bus drivers hate it also.

Controllers try to keep buses on time.

Therefore blame TFL and their pressure of losing less mileage as losing mileage is a threat to the operating company they might lose the route.

It's a vicious circle that's never ending.

The bus carried on with its route anyway,why dump passengers if you are still going that way?

The passengers at cp arent my problem,they also have several other choices of bus,i didnt.

As for the bus driver,she was rude when she told us to get off the bus and when i dared to ask why she told me to f**k off.......so yeah im sure she really hated it.

When it comes down to it,WE the passenger are the only ones to be put out,the driver just carries on driving till his/her shift ends.

[KCS]

The bus carried on with its route anyway,why dump passengers if you are still going that way?

The bus would need to make up time, using Westwood Hill rather than Kirkdale saves valuable time.

The passengers at cp arent my problem,they also have several other choices of bus,i didnt.

No but it's also the operators problem hence why the bus stopped short, I was under the impression other routes goes up Kirkdale, Wells Pk Rd ?

As for the bus driver,she was rude when she told us to get off the bus and when i dared to ask why she told me to f**k off.......so yeah im sure she really hated it.

I'm quite amazed you were told to f**k off!
This could have caused a serious assault situation and I'm sure all bus drivers will avoid such situations and therefore swearing is the last thing you'll hear.

Did any passengers swear at her first perhaps ?

When it comes down to it,WE the passenger are the only ones to be put out,the driver just carries on driving till his/her shift ends.

Your having a laugh!
The Bus Driver has to do what they are told by controllers and this can include compulsary overtime when it's not wanted, how many people here expect to finish at a certain time at work only to realise at that time nope you carry on working, keep smiling and be polite even when sworn at!

Some passengers can be the most impolite people in the world, abuse, spitting at the driver and thats just the mothers who are told there is no more room for their double buggy in the middle of rush hour on a single decker bus.

You have to realise in all walks of life there are polite people as well as impolite, if she did swear at you why did you not report this to TFL ?

[leaf]

No i didnt report it to tfl,i just wanted to get home with my 3 yr old son.

I didnt hear anyone else swear at her and i certainly didnt!

I do understand that bus drivers have to do what their superiors tell them to,but being peed off at that is no excuse to be rude to passengers,she was rude plain and simple.

There are other buses that go up kirkdale,but they are several bus stops away and i wasnt about to pay another bus fare,if a bus has to empty for other reasons the driver will make sure you can get on the next bus for no extra cost,obviously that wasnt practical in this situation.

The joke of it is,it seems as though meeting timetable targets is the prime objective rather than delivering bus passengers to their destination as stipulated on the front of the bus!

Im surprised that you're surprised at her swearing,ive heard many a blue word come from a bus drivers mouth.