Arguing Bristol Bus Drivers Could Use Remedial PCV Training

Imagine coming upon traffic at a near dead stop in the city centre only to discover that holding everyone else up are two bus drivers arguing over a parking space. That is exactly what happened recently in Bristol city centre. While no damage was done and no criminal charges were levied, the disputing drivers did make life rather inconvenient for numerous motorists and bus passengers. The two could probably use some remedial PCV training.

The Bristol Post reports that a disagreement arose between drivers from First West and CT Plus over parking. The First West driver had apparently parked his bus in or near a Park and Ride space the CT Plus driver believed should have been left open for his vehicle. The latter driver was so frustrated that he left his bus, walked out into the street and began gesturing at the First West driver. A 15-minute row ensued resulting in a blockage that did not allow any traffic to progress through the thoroughfare.

Video of the incident was recorded by several passengers who witnessed the disagreement. Officials from both companies have seen the videos and promised a full investigation. Meanwhile, Bristol City Council has warned the two bus companies, in no uncertain terms, to fully look into the matter. The council provides funding for local bus service but trusts contractors to provide that service.

Safety and Common Decency

Safety training is a big part of the PCV training new drivers undergo in order to obtain a Category D bus driving licence. Perhaps some training in common decency should also be included. Blocking traffic in a dispute over parking space is, as one bystander put it, “quite childish and unprofessional.” It is incidents such as these that give the entire transport industry a bad public image.

As a leading provider of PCV training in the UK, we encourage our students to be mindful of other road users at all times. Mindfulness goes above and beyond safety to include common decency. Our drivers are taught the importance of respecting other drivers and driving in a way that takes into account the larger size and weight of their vehicles. Clearly the two drivers in Bristol suffered a temporary lapse in judgement that can hopefully be corrected with some remedial PCV training.

We offer PCV training for the Category D licences that our students need to become professional coach and bus drivers. Furthermore, we train individual and company drivers alike. We can customise a training programme for your company based on the unique needs of your business, complete with the ongoing Driver CPC training necessary to keep your drivers current.

For more information about our PCV/HGV training programmes in Bristol, feel free to contact the HGV Training Centre at any time. We can train you or your company drivers to operate all sorts of commercial vehicles, including buses and coaches. Our training is fast, affordable, and conducted at more than four dozen training facilities throughout the UK.