Passenger accident on guided bus

Recently there was an incident which could have happened on any bus, but I mention it on this blog because it happened at St Ives Park & Ride on a guided bus.

As a man and woman were climbing the stair to the upper deck, the bus moved off from the stop. The man slipped on the stairs and fell against the woman, who broke her leg as a result. The incident is being investigated by Stagecoast East and they are looking at CCTV footage to see if anything could be done to prevent a recurrence. See Huntingdon & St Ives News & Crier (1 November , page 15).

Bus passengers are vulnerable on other ways. For example, local buses are not required to have seat belts. If a bus is full and people are standing, you can be flung around if the bus stops suddenly or changes direction. It used to be recommended by some bus companies that, when alighting, you don't leave your seat until the bus has stopped - this practice, of course, if taken to its extreme would extend stop times, and slow down overall journey times.