What is bus driver's responsibility

[purpleme12]

If a passenger on bus is causing trouble
An adult unknown to the children started having a go at them FUCKING this and FUCKING that and threatening them and got physical with one grabbing the child by the collar.

What are the responsibilities of the bus driver here? Do they have any? Are they taught anything about this situation?

Thanks

I would say s/he has a responsibility to ensure passengers are safe, but I would also say that the other passengers have a responsibility to make sure that their fellow passengers - and particularly children - are safe.

I thought maybe bus driver might have a responsibility to stop the bus maybe? And tell the person to get out?

But first time I've encountered this so checking to see if people know more

Did you or the child alert the bus driver to the anti-social behaviour? The driver's primary focus is driving the bus safely.

Another child on the bus did

I was not there myself

So is the consensus that the bus driver didn't do anything wrong?

Is there any point me reporting this to the bus company? Not necessarily for the bus driver doing anything wrong (if the consensus is that he hasn't) but maybe if I report it, they can have a look on the cameras and report it to the police?

They are given some training but mainly to keep themselves safe. They are able to contact the depot / ask from support from the bus but mainly it would be to contact the police if anyone is unsafe, same as any passenger can do.

If they were driving I would want them to concentrate on that and would expect passengers to step in and help because they aren’t driving so they are in a better position to intervene or make phone calls etc.

Where I live, there is a policing team for public transport, with their own text line. When they get a text like this, they check CCTV & investigate everything. The bus driver usually is not able to leave their cab but can radio through to control room, report the incident themselves, press their alarm or pull over & call police.

I think the driver's responsibility is just to drive

If they saw something worth calling the police over, then they'd probably Radio into colleagues to do it

But they must've seen this 100 times

Sorry for whoever was involved, but I don't think it's anything to do with the bus driver and they've likely seen a lot worse

depends where you live, maybe

I would tell the bus company and ask him to send any footage to police for sure

I would expect them to pull in when it's safe to do so and call for assistance or advice. I'd certainly report it to the bus company.

They're not the police. They should ring the police though if things are kicking off.

Ok so do people think I should report this incident to the bus company so they can look at the CCTV and send it to the police? (I mean I hope it was caught on camera!)

The police can ask the bus company for the CCTV. The company won't release the footage to anyone else.

Yes I know that

Did you mean you think I should report it to the police rather than the bus company then?

Perhaps I should just report it to the police

How old is the child?!

Report it to the police is my opinion

The child who she grabbed the collar of is in year 8 or 9

I think I'll report to police then. I guess we have to hope they know of this person so they can know who she is

Of course.

I am going to report it to the police today

I just hope they can get CCTV from the bus that shows it

I'd hope the bus driver would try and intervene, asking person concerned to leave the bus, but at the same time not put themselves at risk. If needed, then remove themselves to a place of safety and phone police (and then employers).

I'm sorry that happened it sounds awful but I don't think a complaint about the driver is the amswer.
Years ago when I was young all buses had conductors as well as drivers and they could deal with situations like that. Today the poor driver is alone .
He is driving a huge vehicle quite often through roads of parked cars and trying to navigate traffic and irresponsible drivers. He is respnsible for the safety of a bus load of passengers. So it's difficult for him/her to police the passengers too

Having said that I have been on a bus where the driver has refused to move until someone has got off the bus and where the police have been called. But sometimes the driver can't win because even in those situations passengers have complained about the driver holding up the bus.

I don’t agree that other passengers are responsible for each other in any way, including for children.

The driver has a responsibility to drive the bus.

Tbf I would have been pissed off if the bus had been held up by that, unless it was a genuine emergency

Meant to add on previous post - ‘children’ on buses without parents etc are the same
as any other passenger in that they are looking after themselves.

Having been on buses where similar things have happened between two passengers, the bus driver pulls over to a safe stopping place, opens the doors, locks themselves in their cab and calls the police. All the other passengers keep their heads down, get off the bus and get as far away as possible from the fracas.

I don't think the driver other passengers have a duty or responsibility to aid or assist - it could put them in danger as well.