BusTalk Forum Index BusTalk
A Community Discussing Buses and Bus Operations Worldwide!
 
 BusTalk MainBusTalk Main FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups BusTalk GalleriesBusTalk Galleries   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

World Wide Tours Major Accident
Goto page Previous  1, 2
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    BusTalk Forum Index -> Hot Topics & Current Events
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
JA




Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 30
Location: Brooklyn, NY

PostPosted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 7:28 am    Post subject: Current rules are fine Reply with quote

This isn't a rules issue.

You can only drive 10 hours in a 15 hour on-duty period.
You can only drive 60 hours in 7 days.
You can only drive 70 hours in 8 days.
There must be 8 hours off between full shifts.

There needs to be a common sense approach by bus drivers to manage fatigue. You can get tired during your legal shift. If drivers can't handle that, the hours of service rules doesn't matter. I carry things to keep me out of trouble.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
RailBus63
Moderator



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 1063

PostPosted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 8:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

8 hours off between shifts seems low - it should be at least 10 hours, IMO, since two of those hours could be consumed just going from work to home and back to work again.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Hart Bus



Age: 73
Joined: 24 Apr 2007
Posts: 1150

PostPosted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 7:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

According the 5 PM news on Channel 7, Mr. Williams license to operate a bus has been suspended pending an investigation. Amazing that it took 5+ days to do it. Evidently he had several incidents where he identified himself as Eric Williams, not his real name Ophadel (sp?) Williams.

If as JA has said that the company is self-insured, they will probably be bankrupted from all the liability lawsuits and Federal and State charges filed against them.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 11:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

H. B. said; "If as JA has said that the company is self-insured, they will probably be bankrupted from all the liability lawsuits and Federal and State charges filed against them".

That will depend solely upon how the company is set up; if each bus or a small number of the buses in the fleet are in the name of one corporation it will be that corporation that will sustain any loss leaving the rest of the fleet harmless in an action.

Most taxi fleets in New York especially and probably nationwide hold no more than five or so cabs in one corporation to protect the rest of the fleet.

It is also where the word 'operator' after the flags on most private bus lines becomes very meaningful!

Green Bus Lines (NY) did not own any buses - they were just the operators with the owner's being corporations that held up to ten buses each.

Regards,

Mr. 'L'
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
shortlineMCI



Age: 54
Joined: 07 May 2007
Posts: 241

PostPosted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 10:55 pm    Post subject: Re: Current rules are fine Reply with quote

JA wrote:
This isn't a rules issue.

You can only drive 10 hours in a 15 hour on-duty period.
You can only drive 60 hours in 7 days.
You can only drive 70 hours in 8 days.
There must be 8 hours off between full shifts.

There needs to be a common sense approach by bus drivers to manage fatigue. You can get tired during your legal shift. If drivers can't handle that, the hours of service rules doesn't matter. I carry things to keep me out of trouble.


Completely and utterly correct. These numbers must be confirmed in the recap portions of our logs. We at Shortline have been pulled over by DOT along our routes since these two fatal bus crashes, excluding myself personally but the logs and the log recaps are scrutinized rigorously. If a driver has less than ten hours left in the recap portion, he will be taken out of service..Right then and there, passengers or no passengers, no questions asked. Period.

In addition, If I know I'm going to be driving more than ten consecutive hours in any 12 hour period, I will inform my dispatch ahead of time and it will be up to him to make the proper arrangements such as a relief driver waiting for my bus to take my pax the rest of the way. As for me, I do something called "cushion" I become the passenger on the bus, but I get cushioned back to NY or Mahwah. I do get paid for this.

On an OTR run say coming down from from Itaca. W/O traffic, it's 4 hours up and 4 and 1/2 back down. If I get stuck in heavy traffic coming down the 495 helix and problems getting through the Lincoln tunnel, I will inform NYC PABT dispatch to have a relief waiting for me as I will be out of hours for my PM run.

IF however I am running about 10 hours and 15 minutes late, there is a code I plug in that says heavy traffic. We can use that code, however it's not to be abused. We can get a couple of days off for that one.


Last edited by shortlineMCI on Sun Mar 20, 2011 7:00 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
shortlineMCI



Age: 54
Joined: 07 May 2007
Posts: 241

PostPosted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 11:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

RailBus63 wrote:
8 hours off between shifts seems low - it should be at least 10 hours, IMO, since two of those hours could be consumed just going from work to home and back to work again.


You as well are correct. DOT says we must have minimum 8 hours off between shifts. However, Shortline's Safety manager has increased the required 8 hours to 9 hours just for the reasons that you have just mentioned. Some of our drivers come from Queens and the Bronx and have to drive to Mahwah, and unfortunatly further, much further. Some as far as Middletown, NY. I remember as an Extra Man I had to travel with my own personal car to Hawley, and Honesdale, PA. Dispatch told me and whoever else had that spot to fill, "you have a bus waitiing for you at the locale" Allow me to tell you, That was a bitch.

I don't think I would take a bid or tripper any futher than, say Goshen. That's about 45 mins away from me. I live 15 minutes away from the Mahwah Garage.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
GBL Rebel
Moderator



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 608
Location: Long Island, N.Y.

PostPosted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 12:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This report should shed a bit of light into the accident.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/16/nyregion/casino-bus-was-speeding-just-before-crash-investigators-say.html?src=mv&ref=nyregion
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Jimbo



Age: 72
Joined: 13 Apr 2010
Posts: 192
Location: Greenport, NY

PostPosted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 6:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No mention has been made publicly of the wage structure for the driver. I'm betting the casino runs from World Wide (like many bus companies) pay "by the trip". A driver rushes home on the return trip. When hourly wages are paid to a driver, why rush ! Also no mention either of what work was waiting for the driver the next day. Mention was made in one newspaper article that he was late for the pick up. Was he also late returning ?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
JA




Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 30
Location: Brooklyn, NY

PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 2:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wages are rarely an issue except in the summer. There isn't a lot of short work to be done in March. Now is the time that schools and others start to do a lot of airport transfers and the like. Some drivers will try to race back to squeeze in an airport transfer or a quick trip to the zoo.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    BusTalk Forum Index -> Hot Topics & Current Events All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2
Page 2 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group