Time for the truth about bus drivers' 'dangerous' hours
I SEE evidence circulating on Facebook that suggests CT Plus bus drivers are still commonly working very long shifts – 11, 12 and 13 hours were the sorts of times documented. These driving hours considerably exceed what is considered acceptable in either the UK or Europe. There is a very good reason why these sorts of hours are not allowed – they're dangerous.
Tired drivers are a potential danger to the public and to themselves. Reaction times are slower and perception becomes fuzzy.
Some time ago, under the Burford regime, we were told that long driving hours were a short-term issue due to staff shortages and that the situation was not expected to continue.
CT Plus are contracted by the Environment Department to run the island's bus service. This means that Environment has a direct responsibility to ensure safety and best practice.
If the allegations circulating are true, then the Environment Department needs to step up to the mark and face its responsibility.
I think it is time for Deputy Barry Brehaut to tell us whether the allegations are true and, if so, for how long this has been going on.
Also, I think he needs to make a commitment to public safety and stamp out any long driving hours immediately.
Public safety has to trump all other considerations.
MARTYN P. TORODE,
La Milleaux Maisaon,
La Route du Braye,
Vale.
Editor's footnote:
A spokesman for CT Plus responds:
CT Plus is aware that these pictures have been circulated. The person who initially shared the images has carefully cropped them to omit the elements of the driver's day that are non-driving, for example, paid breaks, unpaid breaks, layover time, standby time and paperwork time.
Put simply, they have been edited to not show all the breaks that make up these duties.
All duties comply with driving conditions set by the UK Domestic Driving Regulations, ensuring they cannot exceed 10-hour driving conditions. Every duty is then further approved by the States of Guernsey.
A spokesman for Traffic and Highway Services responds: Contractual arrangements for bus drivers, including pay and shift patterns, is primarily a matter for CT Plus. However, the bus contract requires that the operator adopts 'good industry practice' and complies with Health and Safety at Work Policy.
The existing duty cards operated by CT Plus fully comply with GB domestic rules governing passenger carrying vehicles. This includes maximum length of working days, minimum breaks and daily rest periods.
Your correspondent refers to long shifts of between 11 and 13 hours. This refers to duty time and is not time spent behind the wheel. Of the 44 duty cards currently in operation on a week day during school term time (the busiest time of the year), the average 'driven' time per duty card is seven hours, 45 minutes and none of the cards exceed the 10-hour limit.
During October 2016 the average hours worked by bus drivers did not exceed 48 hours per week.
Typically these hours are worked over a four or five-day working week.
Traffic and Highway Services is currently unaware of any circumstances in which the GB domestic rules have been exceeded and any allegations of unsafe working practices would be fully investigated with the operator.
CT Plus has recently met with union officials of Unite and driver hours was not an issue raised by their members.
