Bus drivers listening to the radio, Yes or no?

[NorwichRailFan]

Hi all, I was on my local bus route today(First Eastern Counties 25) and the driver had the radio on(quite quietly, but me sitting at the front of the bottom deck could hear it well). I barely ever see drivers on buses have the radio on and even when I do it is normally on empty buses on rural routes, not a busy inner city route like the 25. I was wondering why you don't often see drivers having the radio on. Is it the company policy of most bus operators to not let their drivers listen while driving passenger services? or is it just the driver's choice? Have you been on a bus with the radio on recently?

 

[Dai Corner]

The drivers of the Mercedes minibuses which operated the 'Fflecsi' DRT service here in Newport for a year's trial (now ended) often had the radio on. Not usually tuned to a station or set at a volume I would have chosen myself! I don't think I've come across a normal bus equipped with a radio, except many years ago when coaches were sometimes pressed into service on stage carriage work. Even then it was very rare to have the radio on.

 

[Bletchleyite]

One issue with it is that unless a speech only station is chosen (e.g. LBC) a Performing Rights Society licence is necessary and can be costly.

 

[mb88]

Every company I’ve worked at has had a policy of not allowing drivers to have a radio in the cab. In saying that when I started out in 2008 with First it was generally tolerated as long as it wasn’t too loud, and you turned it off when an inspector got on. Certainly couldn’t get away with it now. It’s even a sacking offence at some operators.

 

[GusB]

The subject of drivers listening to the radio in the cab is one that does crop up from time to time. See this thread here:

Use of the radio on local bus/coach services?

If anyone is able to answer I would be interested to find out, are there any rules regarding the drivers playing music(eg through the radio or on a CD) on public bus and coach services? Over the last couple of weeks I've been on a few journeys on bus services that have been worked by a...

www.railforums.co.uk

When I was a student in Aberdeen in the early 90s, I noticed that quite a few of the Grampian Transport drivers would have a radio in the cab, usually tuned to Northsound or whatever station was broadcasting the football on Saturdays!

Edit - there's another thread here:

Bus Driver Listening to Music

Apologies if this question has been asked before. Whilst travelling on the bus today, I noticed how the driver happened to be listening to music whilst driving. At first, I assumed the music was being played by the passenger sitting across the aisle from where I was sitting (seat directly...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Steddenm]

Not just listening to the radio but I've noticed a few Translink Goldline(r) drivers recently on the X1 between Newry and Dublin and the 238 between Newry and Belfast wearing Apple AirPods. Surely this is not only against policy, but the law?

 

[Unstoppable]

Not just listening to the radio but I've noticed a few Translink Goldline(r) drivers recently on the X1 between Newry and Dublin and the 238 between Newry and Belfast wearing Apple AirPods. Surely this is not only against policy, but the law?

No, it is not against the law *face palm*

 

[GusB]

Could we all please remember to be respectful in our replies to any questions on the forum? Not everyone who posts here works within the industry and, let's face it, if they knew the answers to those questions they wouldn't be asking in the first place!

Let's keep it civil! Thanks

 

[Volvodart]

I remember the drivers having radios playing in Aberdeen stopped quite abruptly. At least one of the Plaxton Darts played the radio through its speakers for a time but that stopped too. I think these two incidents may have related to the authorities cracking down on businesses not having the requisite licence to do so.

 

[WibbleWobble]

Jim Stones used to pay for his buses to be fitted with radios, which was done in return for his drivers agreeing to wash and sweep the buses at the end of the day.

 

[357]

One issue with it is that unless a speech only station is chosen (e.g. LBC) a Performing Rights Society licence is necessary and can be costly.

£156.90 per year, per vehicle.

 

[Class142sbad]

some drivers of school buses often have the radio on

 

[SSmith2009]

Arriva use Temsa Safari coaches on the X6 (Leicester to Hinckley) and they often have the radio on. Given it's a coach service it does pass the time away.

 

[Starmill]

One issue with it is that unless a speech only station is chosen (e.g. LBC) a Performing Rights Society licence is necessary and can be costly.

The former Leigh-based operator Jim Stones bought licences which covered their services, as they'd received positive feedback about it from customers and staff. I was surprised at that but there you go. I don't think it's that expensive, it's more that most bus operators are deliberately run on a shoestring.

I believe the firm was ultimately split up and sold off in parts, as Mr and Mrs Stones were no longer in good enough health to run it, and a buyer wasn't found in time. Much missed.

£156.90 per year, per vehicle.

Do you know if licenses for vehicles are required to cover every specific individual vehicle, or just that you're required to pay for as many licences as your fleet can operate simultaneously?

 

[JonathanH]

It wasn't unknown for the radio to be on when I travelled by coach to school and sixth form college in the 1990s. (The older coaches most definitely didn't have radios though.)

I recall one Badgerline bus driver in Bath in the late 1990s who used to drive on Saturday afternoons listening to Radio Five Live for football commentary, with his own portable radio in the cab.

Not encountered it so much in recent years. I think it is common to fit radios to coaches but I don't think it is a standard feature on buses.

 

[Class142sbad]

It wasn't unknown for the radio to be on when I travelled by coach to school and sixth form college in the 1990s. (The older coaches most definitely didn't have radios though.)

I recall one Badgerline bus driver in Bath in the late 1990s who used to drive on Saturday afternoons listening to Radio Five Live for football commentary, with his own portable radio in the cab.

Not encountered it so much in recent years. I think it is common to fit radios to coaches but I don't think it is a standard feature on buses.

Quite common on coaches and those minibuses used for hire/schools services.

 

[MotCO]

The other problem with non-speech radio is that my taste in music is not necessarily your taste in music. Someone who likes classical music will probably not stand rap music, 1990's hits may not be appreciated by garage music lovers.

I have also heard it said that playing instrumental / classical music has a calming effect on people at stations - maybe some of the 'rougher' bus routes may appreciate this as well.

 

[WY Bus Spotter]

When Connexions used to run the 38 in Leeds, one driver always used to have to radio blaring. I thought it made for quite a nice atmosphere.

I've seen plenty of First Leeds drivers with earphones in (including someone who's a driver mentor); though I'm sure inspectors wouldn't be best pleased!

 

[Timmyd]

It used to be common on OPO buses here in SE London in the 80s for the driver to have music or sports commentary radio on in the cab, but haven’t come across it for a long time.

On a similar subject, anyone else remember the trial when Capital Radio was piped into the top deck of some London buses around the same time? you could spot them from posters with ‘this bus runs on music power’ on the sides of them?

 

[Geordie driver]

We had a bunch of mini buses that came with a radio cassette fitted, which was odd as company policy was no radios in the cab.This would be not long after deregulation.

I would listen to the radio with an ear piece in my right ear if travelling light or on school, loved a bit of Wogan in the morning, but impossible in normal service as you need to hear what the punters are saying.

Bus companies are very risk adverse and a blanket ban on radios would be the norm now. Cameras on you all the time too, if you fart out of tune now some gaffer who has never driven a mile in service will be on your back.

Jobs ruined.

 

[lachlan]

A couple of times in recent years I've been on First Aberdeen buses where the driver is listening to the radio. I think the only other times have been on smaller operators and rural routes.

In my experience drivers of rail replacement buses will much more frequently have the radio on

 

[Flange Squeal]

A small operator I do a bit of work for has fitted a couple of their buses with radios (and obtained suitable licences for them), mainly intended for use on the occasional bit of private hire work that comes in from time to time. I have found that if doing a school run with one of those vehicles, the offer of playing ‘their’ sort of music in return for better behaviour does seem to have some effect! Even had instances where some of the kids have stopped others doing something (drawing on seats, scratching windows, food fights etc) as “he won’t let us have the music if you do that!”

 

[357]

Do you know if licenses for vehicles are required to cover every specific individual vehicle, or just that you're required to pay for as many licences as your fleet can operate simultaneously?

As far as I'm aware it's not tied to a specific vehicle.

 

[WM Bus]

Diamond's Mellor Strata mini buses had radios when new. These have since been removed. Apparently "following passenger complaints".

The radio's were disabled following numerous passenger complaints. The final straw being complaints from a local councillor.
Simon

Rotala Management - Questions & Answers - Page 188

Rotala Management - Questions & Answers - Page 188

wmbusphotos.com

You used to see it on some of the now defunct independent bus operators in the West Mids to.

 

[PG]

When I was a student in Aberdeen in the early 90s, I noticed that quite a few of the Grampian Transport drivers would have a radio in the cab, usually tuned to Northsound or whatever station was broadcasting the football on Saturdays!

I was probably one of them Even had 'advice' on the best radio and where to get one plus placement in the cab - looped over the end of sun blind was generally favoured!

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Last time I used Vectare route 31, with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter operating the service, the driver had a Fleetwood Mac playlist blasting out rather loudly.

Made for quite a pleasant journey to be fair.

Have also had it on a few National Express services, albeit much quieter and not (entirely) Fleetwood Mac.

 

[Gloster]

Having a radio on in a bus is not always a calming measure. When I lived in Sweden I once planned to catch a train to Stockholm, but it was cancelled at the last minute and they put on a bus to Uppsala (just over 100 miles). The radio was on throughout, giving us a non-stop news bulletin about a serious tram accident in Gothenburg that killed 13 people.

 

[GusB]

I was probably one of them Even had 'advice' on the best radio and where to get one plus placement in the cab - looped over the end of sun blind was generally favoured!

If you ever did the 20 Hellhead of Satan Hillhead of Seaton to Marischal College run, we've probably crossed paths at some point!

 

[M60lad]

Yes surprisingly some if not all National Express coaches do actually have radios fitted although I think the drivers are told not to use it or if they do use it to keep the volume to a minimum.

I've also travelled on a fair few Rail Replacement coaches where the driver has had the radio switched on in the past.

 

[Geordie driver]

Not just radios, we had TVs fitted at one point. The same company that wouldn't permit a radio as it was a distraction decided it was a good idea to fit loud TVs playing an endless loop of Coca-Cola adverts and ancient episodes of " On the buses".

Worse still the faster you went the louder the TVs became. I have mentioned this on here before. It only lasted a few months, the mechanisms weren't up to the constant battering they got in service.