In the UK, why do bus drivers have breaks en-route?

Question

I might have a Dutch mindset but I find it infuriating to rush to a bus stop, then wait for twenty minutes because buses don't show - and then five minutes later sit in the middle of nowehere for a while too. Mancunian bus drivers seem keen to have their breaks en route no matter what time of day, regardless of whether people are in a hurry to get to work or to get home. I've never noticed this behavious in Scotland, Spain, The Netherlands or Germany. Perhaps bus stations are illogical places to have breaks..

Anyway, rant rant rant.. Anybody know why they do it though?

Thanks for all the arguments.

But Martin, you try leaving before 6.

Answer 1

I don't really understand this. Drivers don't have 'breaks' en-route. What they do have to do is keep to the timetable. If a bus runs more than 2 minutes early the company can be fined for failure to keep to their registered timetable. If they persist in doing so (or running more than 5 mins late or not running at all) the company's operating licence can be revoked. Frustrating it might be to sit around waiting time - but imagine how much more frustrating it would be to turn up at your stop 2 mins before the bus is due, only to miss it because it went 3 min early. Of course if a bus ALWAYS has to sit around waiting time there is something wrong with the schedule - but I bet there are occasions (during school term for instance) when it barely has enough time. You have probably never noticed this happen abroad, because in other countries there is usually less traffic congestion, so a buses running time is more predictable and time to allow for congestion doesn't have to be built in to it.

Answer 2

Bus Drivers are only allowed by LAW to drive for a certain number of hours each day, and they have to take regular breaks as well. Some companies when drawing up the timetables will have a 20 minute break between the bus arriving at it's destination and departing again for the place the bus came from - this is to allow the driver to go to the toilet, have something to eat or drink and stretch his/her legs.

If the Bus is running ahead of schedule, it will pull over at the most convient point and wait for a few minutes, before departing again to arrive at it's destination on time.

Answer 3

I know if it's a very long route, the bus driver will change halfway through (or nearest to the bus garage) if the current bus driver is at the end of his shift, then it'll take a few minutes for the new driver to sign in, set up his cash till thing etc.

If they wait at a stop for several minutes, it's probably because they're ahead of schedule. If they arrive early, the people who monitor the punctuality of the buses come down very hard on them. It's better if you're late, as you can then blame the traffic.

Answer 4

If they are ahead of their timetable then they stop until they are back on time. Sometimes if there is a problem with the bus behind in the schedule then the control centre will hold the bus in front, cancel its timeslot (it may have been late anyway) and it becomes the following bus. So you might have been on the 10.00 but because the 10.12 is missing you become the 10.12 and the 10.00 is cancelled. Futile I know, you must have seen six of the same bus number turn up at once.

Answer 5

They do it so that the other fourteen buses on the route all come into the bus station together.

This is so that they can all play cards in the canteen when they get there. They do this for about an hour, and then do the same on the reverse route...

There should NEVER be a 'break' for a driver on a bus-route. They get enough when they get to the end of the routes! They do it in the Midlands, and also in London.

Bad planning and laziness!

Answer 6

So what your saying is the bus driver did all that for nothing because Big John had a bus pass. Why didn't he ask that to start with? Stupid bus driver!

Answer 7

I've noticed this too. They seem to have a newspaper handy just to pass the time at bus stops.

Someone said to me that they do this if they're running early, just to stick to the schedule. I suppose it would be annoying turning up at a bus stop at 10:59 expecting the 11am bus to be there in a minute when it's been and gone 5 minutes before.

But busses run early? I would never believe it...

Answer 8

I'm a Mancunian and they do that to stick to the schedule. If they are running early they have to ensure they arrive at the next stop at the alotted time so if traffic is clear they take a break.The timetables were made up without accounting for different traffic conditions.

Answer 9

I don't know why they do it but I understand the infuriation. I remember being late for college on a number of occasions a few years ago because the bus driver was sitting reading! My tutors never believed me though.

Answer 10

Generally because they need to, if folks are in a hurry to get to anyplace they should have caught an earlier bus!!!