This seems to have become a major issue (as it should) with both VOSA and the Traffic Commissioner becoming involved running a covert operation to check if buses are leaving stops early. This is the Traffic Commissioner view on the subject.
6. It should be the overriding aim of operators to run their registered services to their published times. Nevertheless it is accepted that traffic and other hazards, such as road works, can cause short-term problems, and Commissioners therefore accept that a bus may be delayed in these circumstances. But they can see no justification for a bus to run early.
7. Whilst operators state that passengers, once aboard, do not like to be kept waiting if an early-running bus has to slow down to conform to the timetable, Commissioners believe that this is preferable to prospective passengers either missing an early-running bus or being kept waiting for a
late-running one, particularly in inclement weather and at the many stops where no shelter is provided, and represents the better option whereby the passenger should be reassured by timetable information that the destination will be reached on time.
This makes perfect sense and most of the time there are no problems. Most drivers do their best to keep to the timetable and do not intentional run early. However we are all human and once in a while you make a mistake reading the running card and suddenly find you are early. The common sense view is to stop as soon as you notice, however at present we seem to in a situation where it appears drivers have been sacked for this without any apparent right of appeal. I now find that I spend a lot of the time checking times (as I should) but also not leaving a stop until the exact time. Most people would say 'and so it should be' But some of the timing points are in some difficult places. Common sense states that if you find you are blocking a road or blocking a stop from other buses you move off. With the prospect of a disciplinary hearing possibly leading to dismissal I have found myself 'getting in the way' on more than one occasion. Timing is always an issue due to variations, in weather, school times etc. I would not like to be a scheduler! The bottom line of this is that all buses should run on time but will sometimes run late. However, they should never, never run early. Meanwhile back in the real world.
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Given that DriveGreen phones home every 2 minutes and records our position and speed on a central database somewhere online, it should be a relatively straightforward matter to use that data to find where buses are waiting at timing points and tighten up the timings appropriately. Technically, a decent programmer should be able to create software that evaluates this data automatically!
The most jaw-droppingly amazing timings are on services 1, 2 and 4 - the timing points just outside the city centre, where they all terminate or begin. According to the timetable and experience, the bus is expected to load passengers at Combe Down, Ensleigh or Bathampton, run down a free-flowing 30mph road (with practically no intermediate passengers boarding except coming down from Ensleigh), then wait for 3-5 minutes at the last bus stop before the city centre is reached. Where no-one ever boards the bus, because it terminates two stops further on. For added hilarity, on two of those services the bus is partially blocking a busy road while waiting for no-one with half a bus full of people who want to go to the next stop.
And some people think there's too much management at the bus company...
Funny that had the 1,4,2 today. had a very angry lorry driver behind me as I waited my 4 minutes!!
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