Bus drivers' boycott because not being allowed to use radio?

the groutch

I would have to disagree with anyone who says it's a silly rule.

There's a huge difference between a private car and a 12 tonne bus carrying up to 90 people, and any unnecessary distractions to the driver should be eliminated.

cdebru

the groutch wrote: »

I would have to disagree with anyone who says it's a silly rule.

There's a huge difference between a private car and a 12 tonne bus carrying up to 90 people, and any unnecessary distractions to the driver should be eliminated.

What about a baby crying ? or a passenger talking on their phone ? Should they be eliminated ? Your private car is well capable of killing all its passengers as well as passengers in other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, if a radio is a seriously dangerous distraction to driving then they should be banned from all vehicles. Private cars are responsible for most deaths on our roads.

But the truth is that bored drivers are the most likely to have accidents

http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/04/bored-drivers-most-likely-to-have-accidents/

So rather than improve safety ( no one including Dublin bus can point to an accident caused by listening to the radio) this is likely to have the reverse, as well as mightily p***ing off their employees, it is an unnecessary provocation, threatening to sack people for the first offence of listening to a radio, DB management have opened a can of worms and made the upcoming pay claim far more difficult to negotiate.


Not to mention that their sister company BE actually fit radios to all their coaches.

cdebru

GM228 wrote: »

Are these portable radios or built into the bus? (Apologies if already asked/answered).

Portable DB don't fit radios to their vehicles.

thomasj

Considering the number of crashes on our roads, if anything that can be seen as a distraction for Dublin Bus drivers needs to be banned to avoid crashes involving buses, I dont see why this can't be used as a means to focus drivers attention more on the roads and to avoid crashes involving cars on the roads.

Peppa Pig

I'd hazard a guess that a major problem is the drivers listening to the radio through their phone. That's a bit of a grey area.
Does anyone have a portable radio anymore?

Mysterypunter

I was waiting for a bus this morning and the driver boycotted the bus stop.

Victor

Peppa Pig wrote: »

Does anyone have a portable radio anymore?

I saw a driver last week who had one - stuck in front of the speedometer.

coylemj

Peppa Pig wrote: »

Does anyone have a portable radio anymore?

You can buy them all right but the problem is that with most mobile phones incorporating an FM radio nowadays, the quality of the audio in small portable radios is chronically bad because even if you wanted to pay a premium for a good quality radio, finding a decent model these days is very difficult.

So if the bus driver has the volume up as a lot of them do, the passengers on the lower deck often have to listen to a terrible racket and there's nothing they can do about - it's significant that not one poster with experience of this annoyance has suggested that you ask the driver to turn down the volume, let alone switch the fcuking thing off.

Mrs OBumble

cdebru wrote: »

Portable DB don't fit radios to their vehicles.

DB don't, and BE do? Why the difference?

cdebru

thomasj wrote: »

Considering the number of crashes on our roads, if anything that can be seen as a distraction for Dublin Bus drivers needs to be banned to avoid crashes involving buses, I dont see why this can't be used as a means to focus drivers attention more on the roads and to avoid crashes involving cars on the roads.

If it is a problem, where are the accidents caused by listening to the radio ? Why is it not illegal ? Why is every other vehicle driver in the country permitted to listen to a radio ? Why do Dublin bus drivers have one of the lowest accident rates compared to other drivers ?

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dublin-bus-at-top-of-world-safety-league-26568533.html

If safety is the issue why haven't the company addressed the issue of wheels coming off buses, this is an actual safety issue with a non expensive solution available but the company has point blank refused to do anything.

The truth is this is not a safety issue, radios were lumped in with other devices which are obviously actually dangerous to use like mobile phones, ipads, laptops etc but listening to a radio does not involve anything like the involvement and distraction of using those devices, it is clearly overkill to suggest that texting, taking a phone call, watching a movie on an ipad, etc are in the same league as listening to a radio and require the same punishment, ie termination of employment.

If you want to ban "anything" that could distract a driver then we can look forward to the banning of most passengers, attractive pedestrians, cyclists, the sun, headlights on other vehicles etc etc etc.

cdebru

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

DB don't, and BE do? Why the difference?

Dublin bus did have radios at one stage many years ago, but I believe the real problem is probably IMRO and paying for it if they allow it, but it is being dressed up as a " safety" issue when it is not and the penalty for listening is complete overkill putting it on the same level as a mobile phone when it is clearly nothing of the sort.

cdebru

Peppa Pig wrote: »

I'd hazard a guess that a major problem is the drivers listening to the radio through their phone. That's a bit of a grey area.
Does anyone have a portable radio anymore?

If it was that issue then that could easily have been dealt with by saying using a mobile phone included using any radio function on the phone. Problem solved anyone using a mobile phone as a radio would have to get a small radio and stop using the radio function on the phone, there would be no issue.

thomasj

cdebru wrote:

If it is a problem, where are the accidents caused by listening to the radio ? Why is it not illegal ? Why is every other vehicle driver in the country permitted to listen to a radio ? Why do Dublin bus drivers have one of the lowest accident rates compared to other drivers ?

Im just trying to highlight that if management were allowed to use radios in their cars theyd change their tact in a hurry

cdebru

thomasj wrote: »

Im just trying to highlight that if management were allowed to use radios in their cars theyd change their tact in a hurry

Do you think, management have removed the radios from their company cars ? In the interests of safety ?
I think DB have stupidly walked themselves into a corner, we have seen the port tunnel, their drivers are refusing to deal with the controllers over the 2 way radio, mechanics are likewise affecting bus changes due to breakdowns, other issues regarding bus safety as mechanics have to use electronic monitoring devices whilst bus is being driven ( not happening now), I would expect the city tour buses to be affected in the near future as well, as driver delivers the guided tour over a headset, ( how is that safer than listening to a radio ?)

thomasj

cdebru wrote:

Do you think, management have removed the radios from their company cars ? In the interests of safety ? I think DB have stupidly walked themselves into a corner, we have seen the port tunnel, their drivers are refusing to deal with the controllers over the 2 way radio, mechanics are likewise affecting bus changes due to breakdowns, other issues regarding bus safety as mechanics have to use electronic monitoring devices whilst bus is being driven ( not happening now), I would expect the city tour buses to be affected in the near future as well, as driver delivers the guided tour over a headset, ( how is that safer than listening to a radio ?)

That's my point . if people were told to remove radios from cars do you think db management would be in a hurry to take them out in the interest of safety?

devnull

Sounds like a smokescreen for me, the drivers are looking for a clause to be created that allows them to have radios in the cab, that will allow any driver to have one in the cab, just in case they need the port tunnel, rather than asking just the very limited number of drivers to have radios.

Something similar to about using centre doors, the often brought up labour court ruling about not being forced to use centre doors when it is unsafe, which is always used as a justification for not using centre doors regardless of the reason for not using them.

thomasj

devnull wrote:

Sounds like a smokescreen for me, the drivers are looking for a clause to be created that allows them to have radios in the cab, that will allow any driver to have one in the cab, just in case they need the port tunnel, rather than asking just the very limited number of drivers to have radios.

devnull wrote:

Something similar to about using centre doors, the often brought up labour court ruling about not being forced to use centre doors when it is unsafe, which is always used as a justification for not using centre doors regardless of the reason for not using them.

If I had to drive around in a car or van for hours including being stuck in traffic without being able listen to music or radio i would go insane within weeks!

charlietheminxx

Is the boycott of the tunnel going ahead does anyone know? I get the 33x daily and will need to figure out a different route to work if so.

BTW I think the radio ban is ridiculous. I couldn't stand the bus without something to listen to and I wouldn't expect the drivers to either!

snickerpuss

I'm shocked everyone sympathises with the bus drivers. Train drivers are not allowed to listen to the radio or anything else. Even their phones must be off at all times even if they are on their break on a train in a station siding with no passengers. Bus drivers need to get over it.

end of the road

snickerpuss wrote: »

Bus drivers need to get over it.

they don't. they have a right to have an issue with it if they so wish. same as the train drivers would have a right to raise the issue with the union and the company if they feel the bann is unwarrented

snickerpuss

end of the road wrote: »

they don't. they have a right to have an issue with it if they so wish. same as the train drivers would have a right to raise the issue with the union and the company if they feel the bann is unwarrented

They have a job where concentration is paramount, no? How does a radio fit into that? It's not the same as someone driving a car - you are responsible for multiple passengers.

charlietheminxx

The radio is not a massive distraction. If anything, it keeps a lot of drivers calm.

snickerpuss

charlietheminxx wrote: »

The radio is not a massive distraction. If anything, it keeps a lot of drivers calm.

Do they need to listen to it to keep calm? Are you suggesting most of them have anger or stress issues?

Victor

snickerpuss wrote: »

Do they need to listen to it to keep calm? Are you suggesting most of them have anger or stress issues?

Too much listening to Joe.

charlietheminxx

snickerpuss wrote: »

Do they need to listen to it to keep calm? Are you suggesting most of them have anger or stress issues?

Errrrr no, I didn't just mean bus drivers either, I mean all drivers.

cdebru

devnull wrote: »

Sounds like a smokescreen for me, the drivers are looking for a clause to be created that allows them to have radios in the cab, that will allow any driver to have one in the cab, just in case they need the port tunnel, rather than asking just the very limited number of drivers to have radios.

Something similar to about using centre doors, the often brought up labour court ruling about not being forced to use centre doors when it is unsafe, which is always used as a justification for not using centre doors regardless of the reason for not using them.

There is no smoke screen, no radio has long been the rule, but completely ignored, DB management decided off their own bat to elevate listening to a radio with texting, or making a phone call, watching a movie on an ipad, sending an email, etc etc. The punishment is first offence = termination of employment, there is zero justification to say listening to a radio is an offence of the same gravity as using a mobile phone, ipad, or laptop whilst driving.

The issue with the port tunnel is just an escalation, if the company proceed along this line it will escalate further, all they have to do is remove radio from the list of prohibited electronic devices warranting instant dismissal, that is all.

KingBrian2

snickerpuss wrote: »

Do they need to listen to it to keep calm? Are you suggesting most of them have anger or stress issues?

They listen to hear some fine tunes.

LastStop

cdebru wrote: »

The issue with the port tunnel is just an escalation, if the company proceed along this line it will escalate further, all they have to do is remove radio from the list of prohibited electronic devices warranting instant dismissal, that is all.

Vote called by NBRU tomorrow. Industrial action Excluding strike so not to put out passengers. Just a work to rule that will certainly end up putting out a lot of passengers. Idiotic behaviour.

cdebru

LastStop wrote: »

Vote called by NBRU tomorrow. Industrial action Excluding strike so not to put out passengers. Just a work to rule that will certainly end up putting out a lot of passengers. Idiotic behaviour.

Indeed it is, but an example of the arrogance amongst managers that has grown in the last 8 odd years, trying to provoke a dispute and have backed themselves into a corner, instead of dealing with it earlier they ignored all correspondence and will now eventually have an embarrassing climb down.

kildarecommuter

I might be wrong but don't Bus Eireann services sometimes have radio station playing ?
Can't understand why this has become an issue although anyone listening to Country & Western should be sacked immediately !!