A Tragic Bus Crash.

[Gromit]

Two people died. An OAP and a young child.

Turns out the 80 year old driver had worked a 70 hour week.

Who in Their right mind would think that was a good idea, or remotely acceptable. The bus driver also had dementia problems that were not diagnosed at the time.

The Bus Company are f@cing an hefty fine, and rightly so.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-45561937

[youngmafbog]

77 at the time but still.

Someone at the bus company need to answer some serious questions, just before being fired.

[Mamyalynne]

The signs were there, why on earth did they allow him to continue driving?

That's awful.

[kvalidir]

Absolutely shocking. how could he have worked a 70 hours week though, aren't there tachos in buses?

[Tilly2]

It is a tragic story, all round.

[douglas9401]

Any number of reasons to let him continue.
Hard to find folk willing to work those hours.
Fear of lawsuits for age/race/health discrimination
Not having systems in place to follow up on information recorded in the vehicles
Utter incompetence in management

[retrocop]

Rings of the refuse cart driver in Scotland a few years back who piled into a Christmas shopping crowd. He was an ex PCV driver who failed to pass the medical. Lessons will be learnt Ha.
I had a HGV2 and a PCV1 and when I had to apply for a blue badge I surrendered them both.
Put the old git in gaol for a spell.

[douglas9401]

The tachograph hours can be stretched over a two week period as long as the required rest days are taken at the end.

[kvalidir]

He has Alzheimers Retro that would be beyond inhumane x

[david small]

He shirked his moral responsibility. He knew full well that he wasn’t up to the mark. Two lives wasted because of his stubbornness and stupidity. Jail him for a while.

[jamesnan]

The company were already aware of his bad erratic driving, because an undercover investigator went on a ride on the bus previously. Therefore they are doubly guilty, because he should have been stopped there and then.

[hc4361]

He had worked a 75 hour week for the previous three weeks.
Some bus services are exempt from the tachograph rules concerning driving hours per week if the route does not exceed 50km per day.

[Baldric]

Sad and avoidable, throw every thing that can be thrown at the people who allowed him to be in that position.

[Gromit]

david small.
I disagree with you.
Elderly drivers are usually unaware that they are past it.
The bus company knew of 3 previous crashes, and had inspected his driving and found it wasn’t up to the mark, but then put him on a 70 hour week.
He obviously should have been retired long ago, but the bus company found him useful even though they new he was dangerous.
If anyone should be jailed, it should be the bus company’s directors or managers who allowed such an unfortunate driver behind a wheel of their bus.

[ToraToraTora]

I would have thought PSV licences would have an age limit. It seems not.

[jno]

I wouldn't swear that age was the problem; dementia might have been. But what business his employers had working anyone 70 hours a week is hard to figure, especially when he'd caused repeated problems before. Put thase three factors together, and you have a recipe for disaster.

[Hopkirk]

Buses do not normally have tachographs.

Written records are kept.

[retrocop]

"He has Alzheimers Retro that would be beyond inhumane x"
Kvaldir
Both my parents died whilst suffering from Altzeimers. Both knew when it was right to hang up their driving gloves.

[Ellipsis]

99% the fault of the company. The driver and his family and friends also play a small part. I doubt the company will exist for much longer ...

[jno]

pretty much my calculation, Ellipsis. He has at any rate been found unfit to stand trial; the company however bears a very heavy responsibilty.

[mushroom25]

//I doubt the company will exist for much longer ... //

the company trading name may be "Midland Red", but corporately they are Stagecoach Midlands, one of the largest operators in the region, and part of the multinational Stagecoach group. they won't be disappearing any time soon.