Bus Audio Volume in Cab

Transport for London did not have the information requested.

Dear Transport for London,

Can you please explain the technical reasoning as to why the announcements from NMCC and iBus Controllers are deafeningly loud even when the volume is on its lowest setting on the MDT. This has been confirmed to be an issue on multiple different buses from different operators with similar volumes being recorded well in excess of the 85db guidelines for ear protection.
The preset volume has been recorded on a decibel meter as high as mid 90s with the highest being 112db.
Radio calls are generally to the max cut off of 90 seconds and multiple diversions can force drivers to be subjected to volumes that the H&S stipulate ear defenders must be worn for extended periods during a shift.
Bearing in mind the speaker is less than 18 inches from the drivers right ear what provisions and considerations were taken in relation to occupational hearing loss prior to the upgrades being made on the broadcast output.
This request is being made to yourselves as the equipment both on the buses and from NMCC is owned and maintained by TSG not the operators individually.

Some drivers are having to resort to either taping things over the speaker to lower the volume to reduce distractions whilst driving or worst case scenario have their hand over the speaker whilst driving due to how loud it is.

In addition to the risks of prolonged exposure to volumes as high as those being broadcast it is impossible to hear passengers who require help unless cab doors get opened which puts us as drivers at risk of assault, covid etc or dismissing someone who needs help because we cant hear what they're saying.

It also means that passengers including young children can hear calls when its being stated about tube fatalities etc.

This has only been an issue for the last 6-9 months suggesting different presets have been put in during an upgrade.

Yours faithfully,

Paul C

FOI, Transport for London

Thank you for contacting Transport for London. As you require an explanatory response rather than specific recorded data / information this falls outside the remit of the FOIA. Therefore we have passed your enquiry to our customer service team who will respond to you directly in due course.

Kind regards

FOI Case Management Team
Transport for London

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Dear FOI,

The explanatory section was to clarify the exact reasons for my request, the initial request does state the following:

Bearing in mind the speaker is less than 18 inches from the drivers right ear what provisions and considerations were taken in relation to occupational hearing loss prior to the upgrades being made on the broadcast output.

For purposes of clarification this request relates to H&S risk assessments prior to the broadcast volume increases.

Yours sincerely,

Paul C

FOI, Transport for London

Dear Paul C,

 

Thank you for your request of 8^th June 2022 - detailed below - submitted
via our online Freedom of Information form.

 

As you are raising a concern / asking for explanation - rather than
requesting specific, recorded information - your request does not fall
under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act.

 

I have therefore passed your message over to the relevant business area to
address.

 

A member of that team will be in contact with you shortly.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

David Wells

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

 

 

 

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Bus Ops FOIs & Inquiries, Transport for London

Dear Paul C,

 

Please be advised that we are not handling this as an FOI as your enquiry
does not appear to be requesting specific recorded information, rather
seeking an explanation / raising a concern.

 

We are not aware of this being an issue that is common across the bus
fleet.  We would encourage bus drivers that become aware of any incidents
whereby a specific bus is experiencing this problem to raise the issue
with their local fleet engineer and a support call raised with the iBus
held Desk. This will be investigated and resolved.

 

Kind regards,

 

Jamie Cole

 

Executive Manager

Bus Directorate  |  Transport for London (TfL)

Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8NJ

 

I work flexible hours and may send emails in the evenings or weekends, but
I don’t expect a reply then.

 

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Customerservice, Transport for London

[1]Transport for London
Transport
for London
 

Ref: 16903459

21 June 2022

Dear Paul

Thank you for your email of 10 June about bus audio volume in drivers'
cabs.

London's bus drivers play a vital role in keeping our city moving.

If there are any vehicle concerns, related to any part of their buses,
drivers should take these up with their local management directly or
through their union representatives, with reference to the vehicles
involved. If these can’t be resolved at that level, Unite the Union can
bring these specific examples to TfL to investigate. TfL and Unite have
regularly discussed driver issues, particularly around health and safety,
and keeping drivers safe.

I have also shared your complaint as feedback only to our Buses Safety
team.

Thanks again for contacting us. If there is anything else we can help you
with, please reply to this email. Alternatively, you can call us on 0343
222 1234 and we'll be happy to help you.

Kind regards

Enoch Bell
Customer Service Adviser
Transport for London Customer Services

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all emails within ten working days.
[2]Mayor of London - Every Journey Matters
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Dear Customerservice,

The issue is not with specific vehicles on a singular basis, which would be reported through the vehicles defect system and then booked up for a TSG engineer to attend, which I am well aware of.
The issue is at the Broadcast level with at least 1 work stations at the NMCC who when broadcasting are deafeningly loud, this is not vehicle specific as many others from different operators and garages are all saying the same thing.
This has been reported at garage level and with Health and Safety concerns to Unite due to distraction due to it being so loud as well as prolonged periods likely to cause occupational hearing loss.
However when reporting to TFL nothing seems to get done, and it gets pushed back without consideration.
Bus operators may not be employed by TFL but there should be a duty of care towards operators staff when it involves your own equipment.

Yours sincerely,

Paul C

acknowledgement, Transport for London

Thank you for contacting us at Transport for London. The reference number
for your enquiry is: 16962394 

 

We appreciate your feedback as it helps us to improve our services and
meet standards that you rightly expect.

 

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critical issue or incident, please call us on 0343 222 1234. Calling us
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Customerservice, Transport for London

 

[1]Transport for London
Transport
for London
Ref: 16962394

4 July 2022

Dear Paul

Thanks for your email on 24 June to clarify that your complaint relates to
the NMCC broadcasts, that you say are deafeningly loud.

I’m sorry for the discomfort caused. I appreciate your concerns.

We’ve made our NMCC team aware of your comments.

You may also wish to send your feedback via the contact details in the Big
Red Book:

Text: 07860 023080*
or
email: [2][email address]

They will get back to you.

(*Your normal network rate applies)

Thanks again for contacting us. If there is anything else we can help you
with, please reply to this email. Alternatively, you can call us on 0343
222 1234 and we'll be happy to help you.

Kind regards

Alison Hayes
Customer Service Adviser
Transport for London Customer Services

If you wish to reply directly to this email, please click on the reply
button on your toolbar. Please do not alter or delete the subject line as
this may result in a delay responding to your email.
We aim to reply to all emails within ten working days.
[3]Mayor of London - Every Journey Matters
Transport for London (TfL) will use the personal information submitted on
this form to process your feedback and provide you with the information or
services you have requested. We may need to share your information with
our service providers, associated organisations and agents for these
purposes. For further information please see our Privacy Policy.

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