Pain on and off the buses

Published: 2 December, 2010

Open letter, morning bus problems

• I AM writing to ask for some thoughts and hopefully action over a new habit/development on (specifically 31 and 253 buses). 

I live in Swiss Cottage and travel every morning to Holloway Road/Camden Road by bus via Camden Town. 

For some reason since the start of this academic term I have realised there has been a dramatic change in the behaviour of school kids on morning buses. 

In the past every school kid raced up stairs and to the back of the bus. Now for some reason the habit is to get on the bus and stay as close as possible to the driver (right between the driver and the stairs) blocking access to the top deck. 

This may be for a feeling of safety? We all hear horror stories of public transport violence, true or otherwise. 

I am not sure why this change has happened since the end of the year. Unfortunately, the result is that bus stop after bus stop the driver won’t stop because of “no room”. In fact the top deck is often half-empty. 

People are late getting to work and kids are late getting to school. Rush hours for a mother with pushchair on these routes is now virtually impossible. 

It is very unfair and very avoidable. Every morning I have to plead with a group of jam-packed children to please move down, to move out of the way of stairs etcetera. 

Inevitably they just stare at me or shrug their shoulders as I weave past them to available seats upstairs. 

If someone is on the stairs I do ask about seats, if no seats are available I will stand with the crowd, no problem. However this is rare – inevitably there are plenty of seats on the top deck.

I ask that both the drivers address this growing problem by ushering people down the bus; to please stand away from the stair access; and for them to ask people to use the seats available (they can see on their top-deck camera).

I also ask that the students from Haverstock School and Camden School for Girls be explained the implications and potential consequences of blocking the entryway to the stairs by tutors or school admin staff. 

Health and safety implications are real and these fear-based or thoughtless actions have tremendous implications. 

There are only seven stops between Hilgrove Road, NW6 (my stop) and Haverstock Hill, so I think it’s laziness not fear. 

We are talking busy workday mornings. People are often left behind despite the fact they can see seats available through the windows. Infuriating.

I think this has escalated into a daily problem, especially between 8am and 9am. 

As winter bites, those left behind unnecessarily at bus stops will feel the pain and frustration increase.

GERRY LAFFY, N7