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Stephanie Kaehler with her three-year-old daughter |
Bus drivers ‘drink coffee, use phone behind wheel’
Residents claim vehicles heading to depot are putting lives at risk
BUS drivers heading back to an Archway depot have been accused of “appalling” behaviour behind the wheel, including attempting to negotiate corners while speaking on mobile phones, holding cups of coffee, and driving with one hand.
The claims emerged in a new campaign by residents against bus drivers who put lives at risk by “racing” back to Europe’s largest urban bus depot at Pemberton Gardens.
It comes after a number of alleged near misses by double and single deck buses when they turn at speed into Pemberton Gardens, for the depot – a 20mph zone – from busy Junction Road.
IT consultant and mother Stefanie Kaehler said that when her husband worked on the buses he faced pressure to get his vehicle back to the Pemberton Gardens depot on time.
“If he was late by a few minutes for any reason he’d get hell from the manager,” she added. “They were not even allowed to stop and go to the toilet. They would have to pee in a bottle and stuff like that.
“As a parent with a three-year-old I realise now just how scary it can be for a pedestrian when the buses race past you around the corner at Pemberton Gardens.”
Local resident and father of two small children, Chris Roche, launched the campaign after attempts by Islington Council to put pressure on Transport for London (TfL) to force the buses to slow down didn’t appear to be working.
“Despite making local roads 20mph and introducing pelican crossings, the message doesn’t seem to have got home to the bus operators and drivers,” said Mr Roche.
“Bus drivers are putting the safety of children at risk. I’ve seen separate incidents where drivers were turning the corner at Junction Road while on a mobile phone, holding a coffee or using just one hand.
“When I challenged the driver holding the cup of coffee, for example, he stuck his head out of the window and laughed at me. You can’t contact the garage by phone so I had to email Transport for London. That was a week ago. I’m still waiting for a response.”
As the Tribune interviewed Mr Roche many buses turned into Pemberton Gardens from Junction Road at high speed, often driving over or clipping the pavement.
Campaigners want a phone number to report bad bus driving.
The campaign has support from both local Labour and Lib Dem councillors, who have had concerns about the speed of buses that use the depot for some years.
Lib Dem councillor Ursula Woolley said: “The buses are rather like horses who speed up when they smell the stable. They can drive like maniacs without regard to the poor pedestrians.”
Labour councillor Janet Burgess said that bus drivers were obviously anxious to get back to the garage and get home.
She added: “I know the garage managers do discourage speeding and take action when it is reported. Perhaps they need to remind drivers again to slow down.”
A spokesman for Transport for London said it has initiated a new safe driving awareness campaign. The drivers are constantly being informed, by way of leaflets and plasma screens messages, which are currently displaying the latest information. In addition, regular speed checks are carried out on local roads by Safety Standards Managers.
The spokesman added:” It should be noted that the legal speed limit on most of the roads in question is 30 mph. There is a local agreement that we have self-imposed on Pemberton Gardens and Monnery Garden to follow a 20 mph speed limit in these areas.” |
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