Bus driver route learning

The request was partially successful.

Dear Transport for London,

Are there any guidelines by TfL to bus operator to ensure a bus driver has route learned. Some operators offer a buddy trainer for the whole day and the buddy trainer is a qualified to teach the bus driver. This no longer happens after privatisation and lack of investment.

Now operators tell drivers to sit in a service bus in their own time to learn the route. This becomes satisfactory for bus operator to say the driver has route learned the route. Without knowing the curtailment points.

1. Are there any specific protocol on driver training on routes? If so what?

Yours faithfully,

Mohshin Ahmed

FOI, Transport for London

Dear M Ahmed,

 

TfL Ref: FOI-0198-1819

 

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 22
April 2018 asking for information about bus driver route learning.

 

Your request will be processed by TfL, the Greater London Authority and
its subsidiaries to provide you with a response in accordance with the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy.

 

A response will be sent to you by 21 May 2018. We publish a substantial
range of information on our website on subjects including operational
performance, contracts, expenditure, journey data, governance and our
financial performance. This includes data which is frequently asked for in
FOI requests or other public queries. Please check see if this helps you.

 

We will publish anonymised versions of requests and responses on the
[1]www.tfl.gov.uk website. We will not publish your name and we will send
a copy of the response to you before it is published on our website.

 

In the meantime, if you would like to discuss this matter further, please
do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Melissa Nichols

FOI Case Officer

 

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

 

 

 

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FOI, Transport for London

1 Attachment

Dear Mr Ahmed,

 

TfL Ref: FOI-0198-1819

 

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 22
April 2018 asking for information about Bus driver route learning.

 

Your request has been processed in accordance with the requirements of the
Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. You asked:

 

Are there any guidelines by TfL to bus operator to ensure a bus driver has
route learned. Some operators offer a buddy trainer for the whole day and
the buddy trainer is a qualified to teach the bus driver. This no longer
happens after privatisation and lack of investment. Now operators tell
drivers to sit in a service bus in their own time to learn the route. This
becomes satisfactory for bus operator to say the driver has route learned
the route. Without knowing the curtailment points.

 

Are there any specific protocol on driver training on routes? If so what?

 

TfL does not prescribe exactly how a bus operator arranges training as
contractually the employer (bus operator) has to provide relevant training
but they would choose the exact method of delivery. There are several
legal requirements and clearly any breaches should be raised using
appropriate channels.

 

Such matters should be taken up with driver’s local Trade Union official,
if they feel their employer (bus operator) has not provided a satisfactory
response to their concern.

 

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to
appeal.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Melissa Nichols

FOI Case Officer

 

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

 

 

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