Simon Wallis
Operator Staff Development Manager
Transport for London - Buses

• The scale of the operation
• How bus drivers are trained
• BTEC
• Disability and Diversity Awareness
• Monitoring of standards
• Big Red Book
• New accessibility initiatives
• Work in schools
• New training film

• 486 million km operated annually
• 6.5 million passenger trips each weekday
• 24,000 bus drivers
• 19,000 bus stops
• 8,500 buses
• 700 routes
• 88 bus garages
• 12 bus companies

• Initial training takes around
6 weeks
• First week:
• Theory/hazard perception
• Company induction
• Followed by about 4 weeks’ practical training
• Driving test takes 90 minutes
• Year on year ‘refresher’ training

• Bespoke qualification unique to London
• All new drivers must achieve the
BTEC within their first year of service
• Competence based award
• 40 hours’ worth of learning
• At any one time 21,000 drivers are BTEC qualified – rest ‘in training’

• Covers basics of the job but with a strong focus on:
• Operational requirements unique to London
• Safety and security
• Delivering an inclusive service
• Customer care
• Conflict and stress management
• In-service driving assessment

Training in Disability & Diversity Awareness
• Training partner ‘The Vassall Centre Trust’
• ‘Train the Trainer’ programme
• Delivering an Inclusive Bus Service
• Key learning outcomes:
– Overcome barriers faced by older and disabled customers
– Understand the need for equality and diversity
– Understand behaviours needed to ensure full and equal access to the bus service
– Know how to ensure access for wheelchair users to the dedicated space

Average monthly network score for DQM 2004 to 2011
35
30
25
20
15
A low score is good
10
5
0
Jan
04
Jul
04
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05
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05
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06
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07
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07
Jan
08
Jul
08
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10
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10
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11
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Jul
12

• Driving Quality Monitoring
• Year on year favourable trend
• Revamped Mystery Traveller Survey, focussed on:
– Smoothness of ride
– Interaction
– Professionalism
– Serving the stop

• A staff handbook – award winning!
• Rules, guidelines, policies, procedures
• Distributed to 24,000 bus drivers and other key staff
• Introduced in 2008
• This is the third edition
• Has become the industry ‘go to’ reference
• Designed with input from older and disabled passengers

• Frequently Asked Questions
• The Basics – doing the job
• More than just a driver
• Older and disabled passengers
• Getting Help
• Drivers’ Guide to Ticketing
• Bus Service Guide
• Index & Glossary

Buggies, wheelchairs and mobility scooters
Generally, safe to have two…however
Allow time to fold down

• Make sure all your passengers have an opportunity to board before you pull away
• Do not move off or pull round other buses unless you are sure everyone wanting your bus has boarded
• You may have to pull forward nearer to the stop

• Pull in close to the kerb
• Assess whether your passengers need the bus to be knelt BEFORE you open the doors, especially if they have to step up on to the platform
• You must kneel the bus:
– If someone asks
– You can see somebody needs it

• Mobility scooters
– Only the more ‘compact’ designs will fit
• Power wheelchairs
• Mobility walkers
• Customer calls Contact Centre or Travel Mentoring Team
• Accompanied journey or
‘Bus Day’
• If OK, sent pack with
Mobility Aid Card and
‘Conditions of Use’

• LT Museum
• Visit schools each year
• Safer Transport Teams
• ‘Zip’ Oyster card
• Behaviour Code
• Enforcement
• Aim to engage young people to be independent, safe and responsible travellers

• Collaboration between
– Age UK London
– Transport for All
– Transport for London
• New training film, designed with input from older and disabled passengers
• ‘Make the case studies come to life’
• To be delivered Autumn 2012

• Bus drivers:
– see and understand the experiences and access needs of older and disabled passengers
– Understand and deliver the behaviours needed to meet these access needs
– Consistently deliver good customer service to all passengers

• Focus group of older and disabled passengers:
– Inform the detailed brief
– Record past experiences (good and bad)
– For bus drivers, identify practical behaviours which remove barriers to travel e.g. pulling into the kerb
– Answer the following questions:
• Travelling by bus is important because…
• I need bus drivers to…
• When I am not treated well it makes me feel…
• When the bus driver does all the right things and I am able to travel, it makes me feel…

• After the detailed brief we will need YOUR help!
• Panel of 3-4 older passengers who:
– Have a story to tell
– Can empathise with the role of the bus driver
– Care about making a difference
– Can easily identify behaviours which will help them and others use the buses more
– Happy being on camera!

Training
• Training is taken seriously
• More comprehensive than rest of the UK
• BTEC
• Diversity and disability awareness
• Things have improved but we know there’s more to do
• Year on year refresher training
• Comprehensive monitoring
• New training film
Big Red Book
• Staff handbook to 24,000 bus drivers
• Key policies, procedures & guidelines
• The industry ‘go to’ reference
• Designed with input from older and disabled passengers
• Award winning
• Bus drivers like it and use it