On 21 Dec, 14:33, MIG wrote:

On Dec 21, 2:13*pm, Mizter T wrote:

On 21 Dec, 13:23, MIG wrote:

(snip)

I expect that open platforms would be a far greater risk nowadays,
with drivers effectively required to avoid letting people get on or
off in order to keep to timings (and all stops being request stops
now).

Are all stops request stops now? I know there was a consultation on
this (to which I didn't respond, grrr) but is this now official
policy, or just your interpretation of what happens in reality?

That's an interesting point ... firstly, yes I was referring
facetiously to what is effectively the situation now (having been
whisked past a white-coloured stop at Trafalgar Square in the rush
hour when I was standing by the door, plus other examples, I am in no
doubt).

First off, silly question but was the bus stop the right one for your
bus? (I'm quite sure it was but it doesn't hurt to explore all
possibilities.)

Anyway, yes I do recall finding myself in that situation when on a bus
in the recent past when it should have stopped at a compulsory stop
(red roundel on white background, like you state) - however most of
the time I ding the bell as a matter of habit more than anything else.
And I've also found myself at a compulsory bus stop where the bus
sailed past without stopping. So I think I pretty much hail the bus
regardless of what type the stop is supposed to be!


But the thing about the proposal was that drivers would have to stop
at all stops if there was someone there, even current request stops,
so they'd probably end up stopping much more than they currently do.


Yes, I recall now - I only read about it on here TBH, and never read
any of the proposal documents - by the time I got round to looking in
to it the consultation period had finished. I certainly wouldn't want
there to be any such policy whereby all buses has to stop at all stops
whatsoever - in fact it would be ludicrous. I therefore wonder if the
proposal was not in fact a straw man set up simply so as to be
comprehensively demolished. Perhaps the genesis of this was the
problem of lots of buses approaching one bus stop and the complaints
from those who have missed their bus in the ensuing melee - in Hong
Kong I believe that all buses queue up to get right up to the bus
stop, however long this might take. I think that any such issues here
can be remedied through the bus drivers simply being a little bit more
considerate, as indeed I think most of them already are in this
situation. So perhaps the whole consultation exercise was the result
of a suggestion that this HK approach should be tried here.

So perhaps the official policy should simply change to one that
reflects what actually happens - all bus stops are request, full stop
(or indeed not).