Viewing 29 posts - 1 through 29 (of 29 total)
  • Help needed making a complaint about a London bus driver
  • piedidiformaggio
    Free Member

    I arrived at a red light and stopped at the white line. A bus subsequently pulled up behind me and stopped. It then proceeded to go through the red light and edge slightly closer to me (still stopped at the white line) so that it came to rest with the white line at about the mid point of the bus. Why did it do this, because the impatient tw4t driving was turning LEFT and I can only assume that he didn’t want to the ‘held up’ by me. This really wound me up, so I want to make an official complaint. This happened in London, where there have been far too many fatalities caused by big vehicles turning left. I have the location, time, bus route number and bus vehicle number. When I complain I’d like to be able to report the correct offences here, so does anybody know the proper term for crossing a red light and if there is an offence of putting somebody in danger, etc.?

    Thanks

    Off to get coffee & porridge and then will start drafting complaint. I may copy Boris in as well!

    bigyinn
    Free Member

    Did the bus ACTUALLY turn left in front of you? If not let it go…..

    piedidiformaggio
    Free Member

    Yes it did turn left. I have drafted the following. Trying to find the e-mail addresses of Boris Johnson, Daniel Moylan & Christopher Garnett to send it in now.

    My complaint:
    Sirs,
    It is with the upmost disappointment that I find myself compelled to write to you to convey the shocking & illegal driving standards exhibited by a London bus driver this morning.

    At approximately 07:15 this morning, I was cycling south along Old Broad Street. Ahead of me at the junction with London Wall and Wormwood Street, the traffic light was showing red, so I duly stopped at the white line on the left hand side of the road. At this time I was the only road user in this location. Shortly after I stopped, a single decker London Bus pulled up beside me and stopped. The bus felt like it was a bit close, but I was not unduly concerned at this time. Then, with the lights still showing red, the bus driver started moving forwards and slightly to the left, i.e. towards me (I was still stationary) and was indicating left. He then stopped the bus with approximately half the bus having been driven over the white stop line. At this time the traffic light was still showing red. When the lights changed to amber, the bus proceeded to move forward and turn left. I was left with no choice but to edge over to the left and wait for the bus to finish it’s manoeuvre before I could proceed straight ahead to continue my route to work.

    As you will be aware, there have been far too many needless fatalities on London’s roads recently where large vehicles turn left and a cyclist is trapped. With this in mind, I am staggered that a professional driver working for TFL could commit such a dangerous and intimidating act. I would consider that the following driving offences have been committed:

    CD20 – Driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users
    DD40 – Dangerous Driving
    TS10 – Failing to comply with traffic light signals

    Please be assured that if I had any form of video evidence I would be reporting the driver to the Police regarding this matter.

    I need not remind you that driving a motor vehicle is a privilege that has to be earned and is not a right. Furthermore, driving a public transport vehicle carries more responsibility.

    As a regular cyclist in the city, I am highly aware of the dangers that cyclists face and support the actions to eliminate anti social cycling (running red lights, etc) and promote better understanding between all road users, which is why I am so incensed that a driver working for and therefore representing TFL can exhibit such aggressive, dangerous and anti social driving.

    Although I would not wish to see anyone out of work, especially during these difficult economic times, I strongly feel that this individual should not be permitted to drive any form of public transport until he has at least been given advanced training and some form of test to evidence that he is a fit and proper person to drive such a vehicle.

    The bus in question, was indicated as being on route 100 and had the number 8308 displayed on it.

    I await your timely reply

    Regards

    Wonder if I’ll even get a reply?

    piedidiformaggio
    Free Member

    Cool. My complaint is being taken seriously. There is hope for the system 🙂

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    Cool. My complaint is being taken seriously.

    Do tell us more!
    That’s a brilliantly worded letter, BTW. Well done.

    piedidiformaggio
    Free Member

    The reply so far

    Dear Mr. Cheesyfeet,I am sorry to hear that. David Brown is Managing Director of Surface Transport at TfL. I am copying this e-mail to him with a request that he make inquiries of the bus company and report back to you. It is no consolation to you, but I should point out that TfL licenses the routes and bus operating companies but does not actually run the buses or employ the drivers. However, we do take complaints such as yours very seriously and will pursue it. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.Daniel Moylan

    poppa
    Free Member

    Wow, is your surname really Cheesyfeet?

    piedidiformaggio
    Free Member

    Wow, is your surname really Cheesyfeet?

    Yep. You wouldn’t believe how difficult it was at school 😉

    scuttler
    Full Member

    Nice letter – only one thing I really noticed was “The bus felt like it was a bit close”, which should be “I felt that the bus was a bit close,” unless the rise-of-the-machines is truly upon us.

    Hope your complaint is dealt with properly. As a man from the provinces I occasionally work in London and think you London commuters are all nuts in the nicest sense of the word.

    dr_adams
    Free Member

    I believe, maybe wrong but for the bus to have been in breach of traffic signals it would have had to have all its wheels pass the white stop line completely, seem to remember something about that being needed for the offence to be complete.

    jacksta
    Free Member

    Keep us posted!

    Stuff like this and worse happens every day 🙁

    MountainMutant
    Free Member

    Feel like drafting me a letter!?

    I have just returned from hospital after coming off my bike on a diesel/oil spill in North London this morning on my commute.

    I have major roadrash and a shredded glove on my left hand and about a two pound coin size lump of flesh ripped from my hip as well as lots of cuts and bruies. (Be warned that zips on shorts take chunks out your legs!)

    30 feet further on from where I fell off is a bus with it’s engine cover up and tons of oil all over the place. There was some sand on the road by the bus but hardly anything down the road. Apparently the fire brigade had already been.

    Not sure where my complaint should go. The bus company or the council for not clearing/marking the road properly.

    MM

    Raouligan
    Free Member

    I’d say about the only thing that you’ve done wrong is not taking the lane really. It’s pretty much the only way to stop that sort of thing happening really.

    If they can’t get past you they can’t cut you up.

    A reasonable complaint letter on NTW who da thunk it ;0)

    MrBlond
    Free Member

    Good letter!

    barca
    Free Member

    “it would have had to have all its wheels pass the white stop line completely,”

    I don’t think that’s correct Dr. as the vehicle in front of me the other week that was going to be an amber gambler decided against it at the the last minute, stopped with only the front wheels over the white line but the traffic camera took his picture.

    nbt
    Full Member

    nope, as barca says the white line is absolute – if you’re on it, you’re over it, legally speaking.

    jojoA1
    Free Member

    If you were going straight ahead, you needed to be in the middle of the lane, not over to the left really. Well written letter though.

    piedidiformaggio
    Free Member

    If you were going straight ahead, you needed to be in the middle of the lane, not over to the left really

    I would do if there was an advanced stop line for cyclists, but this is in the middle of London – stopped in the middle of the lane can be a bit lively! Bloke driving the bus was still a complete tool!

    jojoA1
    Free Member

    I’ll let you off then 😉

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    If you were going straight ahead, you needed to be in the middle of the lane, not over to the left really. Well written letter though.

    Aren’t you meant to keep to the left?

    And why do all the fancy buttons keep disappearing? I had to hand-type that “quote” in. Who do I write and complain to?

    Bumhands
    Free Member

    Has Boris replied yet?

    jojoA1
    Free Member

    At lights where I’m at the front on my bike and going straight ahead, I’d not be right in at the kerb to the left, I’d position myself so that it was obvious I was going either straight on or right. If I was turning left, I’d stay in at the left.

    It may be different riding in big cities where people get all cross and nasty, not like in our lovely happy town where we all smile and wave at each other and say “after you”, “No, no,no, I insist, after you” and get in fights cos the other person won’t go before us.

    breatheeasy
    Free Member

    I complained about a bus driver on my commute. I got a grovelling letter back and they sent the driver back to bus-school. Which hopefully deprived the idiot of overtime and incurred the ridicule of his mates.

    piedidiformaggio
    Free Member

    I have had an auto reply from Boris saying he’s very busy and will reply in about 20 days!

    Will keep you posted

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    I wrote to first recently after getting cut up by one of their “drivers”, got the expected BS reply about “appropriate action being taken” and how seriously they took things. I wrote again asking of driver had accepted responsibility etc, they said they couldn’t tell me this sort of thing due to data protection!!!

    brakes
    Free Member

    shite like this happens to me every day, I rode with a video camera for a bit, but then I thought it might become a self-fulfilling prophecy and I might wind up hurt

    your letter is a bit sanctimonious, but I guess that’s what it takes

    well done for making the effort 🙂

    piedidiformaggio
    Free Member

    Update, just received this

    Thank you for your feedback regarding driver behaviour on bus route 100 (Old Broad Street). I’m very sorry for the upset, frustration and inconvenience that this matter has caused.

    Please be assured that the safety of our passengers and other road users, such as cyclists is paramount, so I was concerned to learn about this incident. Our drivers receive comprehensive training to enable them to perform their duties to the highest standard. As you would expect, safety is a vital part of this training. To drive a bus erratically or at excessive speed is totally unacceptable.

    In view of your comments I’ve contacted Travel London, who operates this route on our behalf. They have spoken with this driver about his poor conduct and taken appropriate disciplinary action, to ensure that this behaviour is not repeated. For confidentiality reasons we cannot release exact details of this action, but rest assured that Travel London take instances of poor driver behaviour very seriously.

    In addition, we’re also working with the bus operating companies to develop additional training programmes for drivers. For example, you may be interested to know that we’ve recently produced a ‘cycle awareness’ DVD for all bus drivers. This highlights to drivers good practice and having regard for cyclists and other key road users.

    Once again thank you for taking the time to bring this matter to my attention. I hope that your next experience with a bus is far more pleasant. If I can be of any further help in the future, please feel free to get in touch.

    Yours sincerely

    suppose it’s the best I can hope for

    TheLittlestHobo
    Free Member

    That seems to be an appropriate response to the ‘incident’.

    chakaping
    Free Member

    Good that you got a response so quickly.

    Worrying that they have a standard letter for shoddy bus driving.

    Confidentiality reasons is BS.

Viewing 29 posts - 1 through 29 (of 29 total)

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