Saftey of bus passengers

[mitros]

Just wondering, and I guess Tyler would be the one to answer this; Is there any type of safety requirement regarding the number of persons on a wdw bus? For instance, once every seat is filled, how many more people can safely stand on the bus? We have been on buses where they just kept piling on, and it seemed extremely dangerous what with all the extra stuff on board, {carriages, strollers, etc.} Is the driver supposed to be keeping track of how many people get on, and will he stop loading after a certain number of guests get on. There must be some limit to the amount of craming they can do on the buses, no?

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by mitros
Just wondering, and I guess Tyler would be the one to answer this; Is there any type of safety requirement regarding the number of persons on a wdw bus? For instance, once every seat is filled, how many more people can safely stand on the bus? We have been on buses where they just kept piling on, and it seemed extremely dangerous what with all the extra stuff on board, {carriages, strollers, etc.} Is the driver supposed to be keeping track of how many people get on, and will he stop loading after a certain number of guests get on. There must be some limit to the amount of craming they can do on the buses, no?

I am not Tyler but I can tell you that up here in MA we have a mass transit system called the "T" and the policy on the buses is that no one can stand beyond the yellow line at the front of the bus or in the stair well of the rear door. So as long as there is room without anyone standing beyound the yellow line and no one is in the stair well the bus is good to go.

From what I have seen of the buses in WDW they have the same policies.

I agree that Tyler will be able to provide official policy but I have a feeling it will not be much different then the "T's" policy.

 

[inkkognito]

I found it interesting that on one of our trips, when I wanted to wait for the next bus rather than stand, the driver tried very hard to convince my husband and I to get on board. At the time, I was still recovering from a very bad knee injury. The driver kept pointing out that we would have to stand and wait for the next bus, but standing still and being able to lean on the cue rail is a lot different than standing on a moving bus in the middle of a crowd of people. Since we would be first in line for the next bus, I knew I would be able to get a seat, but he really tried to get us to get onto that bus. I couldn't figure out why! He didn't know why I wanted to wait, as I wasn't wearing my patella stabilizer and I didn't feel like explaining in the midst of the crowd.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by inkkognito
I found it interesting that on one of our trips, when I wanted to wait for the next bus rather than stand, the driver tried very hard to convince my husband and I to get on board. At the time, I was still recovering from a very bad knee injury. The driver kept pointing out that we would have to stand and wait for the next bus, but standing still and being able to lean on the cue rail is a lot different than standing on a moving bus in the middle of a crowd of people. Since we would be first in line for the next bus, I knew I would be able to get a seat, but he really tried to get us to get onto that bus. I couldn't figure out why! He didn't know why I wanted to wait, as I wasn't wearing my patella stabilizer and I didn't feel like explaining in the midst of the crowd.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

My guess is that the goal of any transportation system is to move as many people as possiable as efficiently as possiable. So since he did not know that you were injured his goal is to get as many people as he can onto the bus and back to their resort.

Were there people behind you or was he going to be leaving you guys alone at the stop? If you were going to be the only family left at the stop he probaly felt bad and was trying to convince you that it is okay to stand on a bus.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

We have found that we can load 72 passengers onto a 40ft RTS bus safely. (That's how we got the radio code Signal 72 for full bus). Our only requirements are that there be no one in front of the yellow/white line, and no one in the rear stairwell.

For the low floors, no one can be in front of the yellow line, or sitting on top of the front wheel wells. Those busses have a rated capacity of 80... however, 72 is more feasible.

One thing I will mention... from personal experience... 75% of the time, it's the passengers themselves that will try and pack themselves in when a bus nears capacity. We as drivers will ask folks to move back, and fill any open space (often times there is quite a bit). However, when the bus is near full, and theres only room for 4... a group of 7 will try and cram on. If we tell them they can't fit, they'll argue and cram themselves somehow behind the line. Once they're all behind the line, the only thing I can do is drive.


On related topics of safety... I do want to add... in collisions with automobiles... the bus will always win. Typically, the large size of the bus will absorb most of the energy of the crash. With the RTS bus, the car will simply enter the bus, and travel below the floor of the passenger compartment.

With the new Low Floor busses, you'd be AMAZED at how structurally safe those things are. The following pictures are not of the type of bus that Disney uses, however, our busses would have simmilar results. The crash was done at about 30mph impact speed, I beleive.

 

[mitros]

Thanks for all of the input. I was aware of the back of the yellow line and not in the stairwell rules . I guess what my real concern was that unlike a pre-show, where we are packed in pretty tight, a building is not moving and stopping, as on a moving bus,and if people are too too close together someone might get hurt if the bus stops too suddenly. Thanks again for the info.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by mitros
I guess what my real concern was that unlike a pre-show, where we are packed in pretty tight, a building is not moving and stopping, as on a moving bus,and if people are too too close together someone might get hurt if the bus stops too suddenly.

People with a lack of common sense can find ways to hurt themselves no matter what the situation... I think really the only thing anyone can do is just excersize some common sense. I always speil to my guests that "We are a high speed turbulent thrill ride, subject to sharp turns, and sudden stops, because there are a lot of crazy tourists out there that have no clue what they're doing. So, if you're standing, hold on for dear life." It's a little bit of humor, but it gets the point across... HOLD ON. As long as you're holding on, you generally should be fine in 95% of the situations encountered.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Not that I know from personal experience, but I have always read and heard in many highly populated areas, such as Tokyo, people are literally crammed into busses like sardines. And one reason is for safety. There is no way anyone is going to fall. Passengers are packed in too tight for anyone to fall.
In May, I was on a WDW that was pretty close to that theory. Very tight, and I doubt anyone could have fallen. But no elbows in the eyes.

 

[seashoreCM]

"The driver on the bus says 'please move back', all through the town"

I was not sure whether 72 people had been counted off but I have seen buses depart when it looked as if there was lots of standing room in the rear.

Perhaps it may help if, (after the bus is loaded normally to inhibit line cuting), the rear door is opened and maybe six to ten more people got on.

About the person with the bum knee who did not want to be the last person on, it is perfectly OK to say so and add that he is waiting for the next bus in order to get a seat. I would hope that, if it was 59 minutes after park closing, the driver and/or dispatche would enforce priority seating for handicapped folks.

About accidents, has WDW ever run a case to trial rather than settle to favor an errant auto driver? Has WDW won? Transit systems in general need to put some accident cases through the courts to set precedent with, as opposed to just pay out claims to "grease the squeakiest wheels".

With cramming more people on like on Japanese subways is, if the bus stops suddently, those in front will be crushed harder.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by seashoreCM
I was not sure whether 72 people had been counted off but I have seen buses depart when it looked as if there was lots of standing room in the rear.

Perhaps it may help if, (after the bus is loaded normally to inhibit line cuting), the rear door is opened and maybe six to ten more people got on.

This happens all the time with the rear... and no one will move back to fill that space. I had one time a guest had just boarded, and took the last seat, which happened to be in the first forward facing row. Had a TON of stuff with her, including a stroller, and just set it down in the middle of the aisle. Refused to let people by. Not much we drivers can do about it except just close the front door, and take off. As for your idea about opening the back door... although it's a good idea, we try to avoid loading through the back as much as possible. The main reason is that it would just take too long... and the othe reason is that we can't really see the outside of that door... just the stepwell. So, I'd risk shutting the door on someone, which I hate doing.

That's why we have DO NOT ENTER signs on our back doors... Often times, the last person will exit, and as soon as I see them clear that door, I'll flip the switch to close it. Unfortunetly, in that one second that I take my eyes off the door to close it, someone tries to enter through the back door in an effort to avoid the line, and ends up having the door close right on them.

Originally posted by seashoreCM
About accidents, has WDW ever run a case to trial rather than settle to favor an errant auto driver? Has WDW won? Transit systems in general need to put some accident cases through the courts to set precedent with, as opposed to just pay out claims to "grease the squeakiest wheels".

Not quite sure about that. That's something I've never heard... We hear about the ocassional accident where someone rear-ends us... or cuts us off... but never hear what happens after that. I'd be particularly interested to find out about when the Orange County Sherrif's patrol car hit one of our busses. Three lanes... two left turn lanes, one right turn lane. Bus was in the right turn lane, Sherrif's car in the middle lane. Light turns green, bus makes a wide right, and swings out into the next lane as he does it. The patrol car also makes a right, and into the same lane that the bus is overhanging into. BAM. The officer gets ready to write the bus driver a ticket... and then the bus driver points out the officer was in a Left Turn Only lane... Ooops.