You would be surprised at the number of people who have asked me that question.
I finally got the answer – yes they do. And it gets deducted from their wages.
It seems perverse that Transport for London lets the contracts for the bus services to private companies and then claws back some of that money by penalising the poorly paid men and women behind the wheel.
I don’t quite see how that fits into TfL’s vision of “A world class transport system that delivers the safe, reliable and efficient movement of people and goods that enhances London’s economy, environment and social inclusion”.
For a start it plays havoc with the recruitment of drivers. It costs a bus company a few thousand pounds to train a new driver. If, in his first week ‘flying solo’, this driver gets a couple of traffic tickets, that is a large proportion of his/her wages down the toilet.
Many a newly qualified driver has decided that, under the circumstances, they can do better elsewhere.
Just another example of the sheer pointlessness of decriminalised traffic enforcement.
January 10, 2008 at 6:41 pm |
Do you have stats for the number of newly qualified drivers that have decided “under the circumstances” they can do better elsewhere?
January 11, 2008 at 9:18 am |
Anecdotal evidence only so far, but I will continue to investigate.
January 30, 2008 at 2:08 am |
Well in some ways I do think bus drivers should pay the fines as sometimes they are the worse culprits for blocking box junctions with big buses, and they are the ones driving the buses, not the bus companies. But then the tickets are very high compared to their wages and I think London needs experienced bus drivers to make the roads safer and obviously if they are getting fined regularly they won’t stay in the job long.
I am surprised TfL fine buses at all. What about local councils that also send out fines for box junctions? Do they fine buses too?
March 25, 2008 at 9:42 pm |
The law’s for us all. I have seen too many instances of bus drivers being impatient and taking liberties. It’s pretty straight-forward to stop at a red light and go when it’s green, and to be considerate to other road users.
July 10, 2008 at 6:10 am |
I am writing this from Hyderabad, India.
Just today morning on my way to work I was about to be knocked by a bus. This thought then occurred do bus drivers get ticketed for offences they commit. In India they definitely don’t and there would be a UNION protest if they start doing it.
I do empathise with the drivers when a great part of their salary is lost in tickets, but how will you make them learn that they have broken a rule (rather a law?).