Problems with close overtaking by Dublin Bus drivers?

monument

You can request footage from Dublin Bus under the Data Protection Acts. All of their buses are fitted with cameras.

They may release still images rather than the footage its self with others who are pictured and number plates etc blocked out.

Here's a template which may help you...

[also insert your addresss]
[the date]

Dublin Bus
59 Upper O’Connell Street,
Dublin 1,
Ireland.

Dear Sir/Madam,

SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR CCTV FOOTAGE UNDER DATA PROTECTION ACTS

I wish to make an access request under the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 for the following:

Any footage from on-board cameras which shows the road in front or to the side of the number [insert bus no] bus heading towards [insert direction of bus], with the number plate [insert number plate] at around [insert time and date], from where the bus [insert the relevant stretch the bus].

I am making this request under section 4 of the Data Protection Acts.

The Data Protection Commissioner and the courts have made it clear that CCTV from buses is covered by the acts. Furthermore, the Circuit Court recently gave a judgment in Dublin Bus v. Data Protection Commissioner (July, 2011) which said that data protection access rights in Ireland are not affected by the fact that civil proceedings are contemplated or ongoing.

I am inclosing €6.35, the maximum fee allowed by the acts [do this and removed this note]. Under the acts you must hand over the information, in this case the footage, within 40 days of receiving this request.

If you have any further questions you can contact me on [optional – give extra contact details]

Regards,
[your name and sign it]

DirkVoodoo

Sweet, nice one!

Myself and aidan.offbeat were passed VERY close by an out-of-service bus today near Milltown/Dundrum. The fecker beeped AS he overtook, so when I heard the beep I looked over my right shoulder, naturally pulling me slightly to the right.

Not sure we can do much now as we both remember slightly different license plates and both are coming up as buses on cartell.

monument

Try giving as much details as possible -- the recording was still created and is likely still being held, and you're still entitled to view it.

May try giving both plates numbers and say you're not fully sure, noting the bus was out of service, and give the location and time as exact as possible -- it's likely only one of those buses with close matching plate numbers were in the same location at around the same time. Even if both were and both were out of service, it would not take an unreasonable amount of time for them to search the footage of both.

Raam

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Sweet, nice one!

Myself and aidan.offbeat were passed VERY close by an out-of-service bus today near Milltown/Dundrum. The fecker beeped AS he overtook, so when I heard the beep I looked over my right shoulder, naturally pulling me slightly to the right.

Not sure we can do much now as we both remember slightly different license plates and both are coming up as buses on cartell.

Ask for both.

DirkVoodoo

monument wrote: »

Try giving as much details as possible -- the recording was still created and is likely still being held, and you're still entitled to view it.

May try giving both plates numbers and say you're not fully sure, noting the bus was out of service, and give the location and time as exact as possible -- it's likely only one of those buses with close matching plate numbers were in the same location at around the same time. Even if both were and both were out of service, it would not take an unreasonable amount of time for them to search the footage of both.

Thanks God for Garmins, location and time can be pinpointed to the second.

Still, you guys are missing the point. I'm right, Aidan is wrong, it was 00-D-40076 and I think he had a "0" in the rear number panel.

Hermy

Was it a 17?

DirkVoodoo

Hermy wrote: »

Was it a 17?

No idea. It was on Braemor road, after the left turn towards Milltown. He took the left under the Luas Bridge by Joe Daly's onto Dundrum road and just floored it. Guessing it was out of service because I saw someone at a stop up ahead stick an arm out and he kept going.

Hermy

Sounds just like the incident I reported previously.

Turner

What will you do with the footage?

Show it to Dublin bus management and hope its pointed out to the driver to be more careful?

Wishbone Ash

Most of my close calls with DB drivers tend to be on dark unlit outer surburban routes and consequently very difficult to get registration numbers of the buses involved.

Is a route number, location and time adequate?

cdaly_

Turner wrote:

What will you do with the footage?

Show it to Dublin bus management and hope its pointed out to the driver to be more careful?

Preserve it for evidence for when you make the complaint to the Gardai.

Turner

Would a forward facing camera catch how close the bus comes to the cyclist?

Or is there side cameras?

If it made it to court i could see it being heavily contested.

a148pro

I could do with a side camera, had a bus driver whom I actually thought was going for me the other day on the quays. Didn't take details though. Was going to remonstrate with him but would prob just make him angrier to cyclists in future.

Thanks for posting this out OP.

Wishbone Ash

Turner wrote: »

Would a forward facing camera catch how close the bus comes to the cyclist?

Or is there side cameras?

If it made it to court i could see it being heavily contested.

Probably wouldn't detect that awful habit many of their drivers have of overtaking a cyclist and then pulling in immediately at a bus stop.

RobFowl

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Probably wouldn't detect that awful habit many of their drivers have of overtaking a cyclist and then pulling in immediately at a bus stop.

Happens to me at least twice a week!

manwithaplan

RobFowl wrote: »

Happens to me at least twice a week!

You're going too slow

New Haven

Turner wrote: »

What will you do with the footage?

Show it to Dublin bus management and hope its pointed out to the driver to be more careful?

This would be a waste of time as Dublin Bus are not allowed to use bus camera footage to discipline a driver (union agreement). It could only be used if you were to bring it to the Gardaí or to your solicitor.

However, I don't think you would have much luck in getting cctv footage from Dublin Bus. They would tie you up in legal proceeding as they have their own full time solicitors working for them.

Good luck.

monument

For the record, I got stills from bus footage.

Cookie_Monster

New Haven wrote: »

This would be a waste of time as Dublin Bus are not allowed to use bus camera footage to discipline a driver (union agreement). .

:eek:

No wonder my complaint of dangerous driver was ignored even though I gave exact time, location, route, fleet number and plate and asked them to review the footage.

SerialComplaint

New Haven wrote: »

This would be a waste of time as Dublin Bus are not allowed to use bus camera footage to discipline a driver (union agreement).

Do you have a source for this please?

Hermy

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

:eek:

No wonder my complaint of dangerous driver was ignored even though I gave exact time, location, route, fleet number and plate and asked them to review the footage.

How did you make your complaint Cookie?
I've made several complaints in writing in recent months and all have been dealt with.

check_six

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Probably wouldn't detect that awful habit many of their drivers have of overtaking a cyclist and then pulling in immediately at a bus stop.

One time I saw a City Imp bus (remember those? small, red, erratically driven) misjudge how quickly a fellow was cycling up Lord Edward St. (hill outside Dublin Castle/City Hall). The bus was arriving at a stop as the cyclist was starting to slow on the hill. The bus driver pulled in anyway right over the bike's back wheel. The cyclist was fine, but it makes you wonder what the bus driver was looking at when he pulled in towards the footpath. The bike had been ahead of him the whole time in his approach to the stop so it hadn't come from "nowhere". Those Imp buses were always a menace though.