Hello all,
I know that a few of you have/do work for a variety of operators around Australia.
I am interested to know how bus drivers are assigned to the vehicles that they drive, especially metro runs.
Is it a kind-of "first bus in the row" sort of thing or more like a rotation where you are given a bus number?
Thanks
Bus driver assignments to vehicles
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- boronia
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Re: Bus driver assignments to vehicles
Smaller companies often have a "one bus, one driver" policy, although drivers/buses may be swapped around to meet operational needs.
Larger operations, especially where buses are normally parked in rows, would work on the "first bus available" principal. Buses are allocated from a random stack in order of departure time.
Larger operations, especially where buses are normally parked in rows, would work on the "first bus available" principal. Buses are allocated from a random stack in order of departure time.
Preserving fire service history
@ The Museum of Fire.
@ The Museum of Fire.
Re: Bus driver assignments to vehicles
It really depends on the operator/owner's preference. The four ways I've seen are:
- Bus to Driver - with spare buses available when that driver is off or the bus is needed for maintenence,
- Bus to Shift - with spare buses available when that bus is needed for maintenence,
- Bus to Route - with a pool of buses only used on that route and spare buses from that pool or a general pool when buses are needed for maintenence, and,
- Buses allocated as parked - where buses are parked as they arrive according to vehicle type (low floor, high floor, vehicle age, reliability, high capacity, dedicated livery etc) and dispatched in that order when required.
If depot space is tight it can be difficult for the top three to work, but that doesn't mean an operator won't still used their preferred system. Depot space/shape will also determine how the fourth way works, with different depots from the same operator often needing different strategies.
- Bus to Driver - with spare buses available when that driver is off or the bus is needed for maintenence,
- Bus to Shift - with spare buses available when that bus is needed for maintenence,
- Bus to Route - with a pool of buses only used on that route and spare buses from that pool or a general pool when buses are needed for maintenence, and,
- Buses allocated as parked - where buses are parked as they arrive according to vehicle type (low floor, high floor, vehicle age, reliability, high capacity, dedicated livery etc) and dispatched in that order when required.
If depot space is tight it can be difficult for the top three to work, but that doesn't mean an operator won't still used their preferred system. Depot space/shape will also determine how the fourth way works, with different depots from the same operator often needing different strategies.
Enjoy.
- Fleet Lists
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Re: Bus driver assignments to vehicles
Different pool may also be used to allocate wheelchair and non wheelchair buses.
Living in the Shire.
- Sydney_Buses_CB60
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Re: Bus driver assignments to vehicles
Well in about 2010, I was invited to visit State Transit's Mona Vale (F) Depot and I recall the Driver showing me around saying that you basically are told (e.g), "Right, here's your shift, your bus is 1887". That might have changed since then, but that's what I remember about how the STA does it.
The One & Only
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Re: Bus driver assignments to vehicles
I can recall visiting the Veolia Taren Point depot as they were known then, on one occasion when they used that method but a few minutes later one driver came back saying that he could not find the bus he had been allocated. A check found that the bus should have been back in the depot but had been delayed and so the driver was allocated another bus. So there has to be some flexibility.
Living in the Shire.
- boronia
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Re: Bus driver assignments to vehicles
IIRC, a few years back ACTION had a one driver /one vehicle policy. If the driver had a day off, "his" bus would usually stay in the yard.
In companies where there are vehicles normally allocated to particular drivers, when a driver had a day off and someone else drove his coach, there would always be complaints about the bus being damaged, or not cleaned properly, when the regular driver returned.
In companies where there are vehicles normally allocated to particular drivers, when a driver had a day off and someone else drove his coach, there would always be complaints about the bus being damaged, or not cleaned properly, when the regular driver returned.
Preserving fire service history
@ The Museum of Fire.
@ The Museum of Fire.
- ZIB-585
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Re: Bus driver assignments to vehicles
Depends on how many years back you're talking, but I doubt they would ever have enough buses to simply leave some in the yard.
What happens at ACTION currently is each shift is allocated a bus type (low floor, articulated, Steer Tag) and drivers will be allocated a bus accordingly. Usually low floor shifts will not be allocated Renault buses - unless there is no other choice - but the reverse will occur.
Some drivers may be assigned a particular bus or a model (some drivers for reasons that escape me prefer Scania K320UBs over MAN 18.320s), but this is only done in limited cases.
What happens at ACTION currently is each shift is allocated a bus type (low floor, articulated, Steer Tag) and drivers will be allocated a bus accordingly. Usually low floor shifts will not be allocated Renault buses - unless there is no other choice - but the reverse will occur.
Some drivers may be assigned a particular bus or a model (some drivers for reasons that escape me prefer Scania K320UBs over MAN 18.320s), but this is only done in limited cases.
Fully accredited Hino Poncho driver.