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

Mrs OBumble

kildarecommuter wrote: »

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 !!

They sure do.

Listening to the death-notices over the radio that's built into the bus and comes thru speakers in it is the low-light of some journeys to work for me!

Terrontress

What do Translink allow? I seem to recall in the days of Citybus that a constant feature of going into town on a Saturday was a driver listening to BBC Radio 5 football updates and enjoying a cigarette.

Obviously the fegs are off the agenda now, but what about the radio?

dcr22B

Does anybody actually know if they're going ahead with the unofficial action or not?

Pkiernan

The key protagonists of the 1913 Lockout would be so proud of today's Unions.

StreetLight

dcr22B wrote: »

Does anybody actually know if they're going ahead with the unofficial action or not?

It seems not.

Radio Nova's Facebook page has just announced that Dublin Bus management have rolled back on their plan to sack a driver if caught using a radio.

https://www.facebook.com/radionova100/?fref=nf

cdebru

dcr22B wrote: »

Does anybody actually know if they're going ahead with the unofficial action or not?

No all sorted apparently.

Vic_08

Terrontress wrote: »

What do Translink allow? I seem to recall in the days of Citybus that a constant feature of going into town on a Saturday was a driver listening to BBC Radio 5 football updates and enjoying a cigarette.

Obviously the fegs are off the agenda now, but what about the radio?

Nothing. No radios installed in Ulsterbus coaches either. Main reason was not wanting aggro due to sectarian content played.

I imagine blind eye towards football scores but anyone playing rebel songs or marching band shoite would be in for a talk with management.

cdebru

http://nbru.ie/union/index.php/staff-notice/nbru-notice-to-members-on-the-reversal-of-dublin-buses-zero-tolerance-policy-towards-transistor-radios/

Peppa Pig

cdebru wrote: »

http://nbru.ie/union/index.php/staff-notice/nbru-notice-to-members-on-the-reversal-of-dublin-buses-zero-tolerance-policy-towards-transistor-radios/

An emergency call can be taken once a Driver pulls the Bus in to a safe place and turns the engine off.

That's a strange thing to allow. How are you to know it's an emergency call until you answer it? Could be the driver being asked what he wants for his dinner, or a mate asking if he fancies a pint after work.

Or does control tell the driver he is needed on the phone?

cdebru

Peppa Pig wrote: »

That's a strange thing to allow. How are you to know it's an emergency call until you answer it? Could be the driver being asked what he wants for his dinner, or a mate asking if he fancies a pint after work.

Or does control tell the driver he is needed on the phone?

I presume it is up to drivers not to abuse it, and it would be meant for a situation were a driver might have a sick relative or pregnant partner etc and may need to be contacted.

Peppa Pig

Is it allowed at the moment?

cdebru

Peppa Pig wrote: »

Is it allowed at the moment?

Was before the new rules were announced , it's just a return to that

LastStop

cdebru wrote: »

Was before the new rules were announced , it's just a return to that

So radios are still NOT allowed but nobody will be sacked if caught with one.

cdebru

LastStop wrote: »

So radios are still NOT allowed but nobody will be sacked if caught with one.

Correct, it is a return to the position previously it is not allowed but it is not a sackable offence. I think it's an example of the way DB management has gone in recent years, management positions nowadays are filled by people who never actually drove a bus, they are generally clerical staff who worked their way up so they actually don't have a fundamental understanding of the business they are managing.

Victor

cdebru wrote: »

Correct, it is a return to the position previously it is not allowed but it is not a sackable offence. I think it's an example of the way DB management has gone in recent years, management positions nowadays are filled by people who never actually drove a bus, they are generally clerical staff who worked their way up so they actually don't have a fundamental understanding of the business they are managing.

The business is running a bus service, not driving buses. Although nobody at any level of Dublin Bus seems to understand this.

cdebru

Victor wrote: »

The business is running a bus service, not driving buses. Although nobody at any level of Dublin Bus seems to understand this.

Correct, but if you don't understand the core business, IE the day to day operations and have lived your working life in various offices, then it is extremely difficult to make the correct decisions, you can see it in the everyday running of the business in the way unworkable timetables remain for years, in how timetables are set up, in simple things like route numberings.
This silly arrogant decision is just a mere example, that I predicted last week would lead to an embarrassing climbdown, anyone who understood the business they were managing would never have walked themselves into a cul de sac like that, the trade unions tried to point this out to them weeks ago but in their arrogance they refused to even acknowledge the correspondence.
I'm not saying everyone involved in running the company should have driven a bus that would be silly, but at least some of them should have had front line experience, or they should at least listen to people who do.

thomasj

The bus I'm on now, has the radio on but it's at a decent volume level and doesnt seem to be a problem

howiya

Got two buses late last night. One driver had a radio on. The second driver didn't. Didn't affect the quality of either journey

LastStop

cdebru wrote: »

Correct, it is a return to the position previously it is not allowed but it is not a sackable offence.

So there is nothing to stop the company from just implementing the system that has been in place. Driver has radio, verbal warning, driver has radio and already got a number of infractions on their record.... Written warning. Etc. Up to sacking.

Also I hope some drivers who I have seen using bluetooth speakers off their phones or just using their phones as radios realise that this is instant dismissal.

cdebru

LastStop wrote: »

So there is nothing to stop the company from just implementing the system that has been in place. Driver has radio, verbal warning, driver has radio and already got a number of infractions on their record.... Written warning. Etc. Up to sacking.

Also I hope some drivers who I have seen using bluetooth speakers off their phones or just using their phones as radios realise that this is instant dismissal.

Nah they have agreed to be sensible, not to use any covert methods of catching drivers using radios, so the situation reverts back to before, it is no longer a sackable offence, drivers should turn off the radio when an inspector boards the bus, an Irish solution to an Irish problem, just don't rub in their face and no problem, it is also no longer compulsory for a supervisor or manager to report radio use.

It would depend on your interpretation of phone use, the company only mentions having a phone in your hand, or using it to send messages or make calls or browse the web, they haven't specifically as yet mentioned using the radio function on the phone, but as it stands as long as you aren't interacting with it whilst driving then it shouldn't be a problem I would say.

punisher5112

LastStop wrote: »

So there is nothing to stop the company from just implementing the system that has been in place. Driver has radio, verbal warning, driver has radio and already got a number of infractions on their record.... Written warning. Etc. Up to sacking.

Also I hope some drivers who I have seen using bluetooth speakers off their phones or just using their phones as radios realise that this is instant dismissal.

Not true.

Phone or device has to be in ones hand or changing settings station etc... By touch while in motion.

Sick of all the wannabe cops that are now going to be further nuisance on our public transport.

tabbey

There are three issues involved in drivers using radio in the bus;

IMRO, if it is regarded as playing music in a public venue, there is little Dublin Bus can do about it.

Concentration, both in driving the bus safely, and hearing passengers stating their destination.

Nuisance to the public. I don't mind if a driver has a radio on at low volume, but on a couple of occasions recently, I could hear it upstairs, even though my hearing is bad. On one of these occasions, the driver had unwittingly left his public address on, so we could also hear clicks, and his interaction with control and passengers paying their fares.

The solution to all these issues is moderation in volume. This also applies to other motorists, it is important for safety that all drivers can hear a car skidding, or whatever is going on around them.

As for refusing to drive through the Port Access Tunnel, because of a radio ban, this is absurd action.

Devilman40k

tabbey wrote: »

As for refusing to drive through the Port Access Tunnel, because of a radio ban, this is absurd action.

Not really when one of the safety measures if there is an incident in the Port Tunnel is FM radio break-in facility

StreetLight

Does this mean that drivers who don't use a radio are at a safety disadvantage if something does happen in the tunnel?

stoplooklisten

StreetLight wrote: »

Does this mean that drivers who don't use a radio are at a safety disadvantage if something does happen in the tunnel?

i suppose it does ..... if they can't manage to see the big flashing signs and hear announcements

rhoa

All i know from reading this thread is that if the NAZI's invaded Ireland they would have had no problem finding Irish Gauleiter's.