You know today I stayed on the bus

The song is The Kooks and, not surprisingly our subject today is buses, the accessibility of them, the reliablity of them and the cost of going on them. My role as Director of HVA takes me into a diverse collection of meetings including the formal consultation group which looks at bus travel and reviews the Quality Bus Partnership - the agreement which makes them more efficient reliable cost effective and customer friendly (or not depending on your point of view). Together with bodies like Save Our Services, Disability Forum, Seniors Forum and others we sit down with Stagecoach, the Borough and County Councils and a representative of the drivers union to look at issues. I think I am fairly good at some of the strategic stuff but I have to hand it to some of the other reps who have an absolutely encyclopedic knowledge of every bus shelter, drop curb, turning circle in the whople Borough. I leave much of the detail to them but my ears prick up when we discuss an increase in the number of 'incidents' on buses and the risk to drivers. I then learn something which absolutely amazes me. Here it is... If a driver is assaulted, breaks down or needs to summon help, contact his garage or call the emergency services THE BUS COMPANY HAVE PROVIDED NO MEANS THROUGH WHICH THEY CAN DO SO!! I always thought that this would be such a basic thing but apparently not. Unless a driver carries a personal mobile phone which I guess they pay for they are completely isolated. I say to the meeting that I am outraged and that I want an input from the health and safety executive on this one. I am informed by the drivers representative that they have been asking for a walkie talkie system or mobile phone communication but nothing has happened. Given that most vehicles are driver only now seems like a serious issue to me. It might also interest you to know that the profits of STAGECOACH rose 11% last year to a whopping £140million so if cost is raised as the excuse I will be hitting the roof!!