Thread: Any Charter Bus drivers / Coach Captains here?

There is a hugh difference between "bus drivers" and "Coach Captains"

Bus Drivers --------- Collects Tickets

Coach Captain --------------- Has Tickets on Himself


But in all seriousness a Coach Captain is more of a Tour Manager than a driver. Coach Captains have a large variety of tasks to perform everyday. Name any occupation you like and a Coach captain would have to perform some function to that occupation during a tour

Here in WA:-

The busses/coaches I drive have bench seats, capable of seating 2 adults or 3 children below a certain age(size).
If an adult uses one seat, then only ONE child is permitted to occupy the 'other' side.

This rule applies to our bigger busses (ex-SA Transit suburban runner 49 adult pax) and the bigger school busses and coaches. - All have bench-style seats.

Our 29 seater can be similarly utilised, and is registered as such, seeing as it has a full-size body & bench seats.

The Coaster-type overgrown delivery van is fixed at ONE capacity, regardless of the beam on the bums as they've been so elegantly described. - You would'nt inflict '3 to a seat' on kids even near kindergarten age... This I think, is the size you're referring to. - 18 seats. Our authorities over here will only accept 18 bottoms on 18 seats in ours. If your school wants more kids on a bus, the better way would be a larger bus, rather than the Sardine approach.

Our new, intra-galactic Star-Cruiser is fitted with "Mc Connel 2/3" seat-belted units. Two inertia belts are built in, with a third harness being removable. Legally, can carry 2 or 3 (belted) PAX. - Limited by the same age& size restriction as above...

Let me say that the 3rd harness is a pain in the Sit-Upon. - Time consuming to install, remove, un-knot and stow. That also goes for the inertia belts which also need 'supervision' after carrying some kids... Even big(er) kids.

If a belt is improperly worn or partially defective it can cause more damage than not wearing. Oh, and don't forget that the belted seat-units are wider than benches, which leaves a narrower ailse for normal or emergency access...
The only up-side of these seats....with the narrower ailse, is larger ladies need to walk sideways down the bus, and if they're vertically challenged as well as, um, Rubenesque, then their 'curves' need to be lifted up and over the seat-backs. I'm all for seat-belted busses. !

These 'safer' seats add around $30,000 (minimum) to your next 50+ seater school bus.


Can you work out "why?" public transport busses will not be 'belted' ???

We need to consider the safety record of busses, public and private, and compare the injury rate to what the Pax would endure if they had to drive a car instead.

With or without seat belts in the bus...

Grumpy Old Bus-Driver.