My daughter has gone on a school trip today to Austria,
the coach came from Leicester, and picked up one party of kids at Worcester, then onto my daughters school at Ludlow,
The coach arrived with 2 drivers, she has text me to say they picked up another driver in kent,
They are supposed to arrive at their destination tomorrow lunch time
What is the legalities of that. ? 3 drivers and all that time? probably 30 hours plus
I can’t see any legal way it’d work tbh if it was a 30hr journey, but what I’d expect is driver number 3 to be single manned after the other 2 have finished?
My daughter has gone on a school trip today to Austria,
the coach came from Leicester, and picked up one party of kids at Worcester, then onto my daughters school at Ludlow,
The coach arrived with 2 drivers, she has text me to say they picked up another driver in kent,
They are supposed to arrive at their destination tomorrow lunch time
What is the legalities of that. ? 3 drivers and all that time? probably 30 hours plus
Or am I just being a paranoid and worried dad?
regards
tony
Legally they must stop for at least a 9 hour daily rest 21 hours after booking on at Leicester - there is no legal way around that if the drivers stay on board
They could drop off 2 original drivers at a B&B but that would still leave driver 3 needing at least a 9 hour daily rest at the 15 hour point from when that driver clocked on
Thats an interesting thought, what if there were drivers bunks ( those bunks that slide from under the vehicle ) although i believe there are laws that govern a driver resting in a moving vehicle
you can tell us rog.
What about the poor kids on a 30 hour journey ? but then again i know of a Bulgarian coach company that runs a scheduled service from Victoria to Varna via Sofia, and they only stop for toilet/food break every 3/4 hours and thats with only 2 drivers.
I would ask the girl to keep dad updated as to what happens and what stops they make with times etc.
truckyboy:
Thats an interesting thought, what if there were drivers bunks ( those bunks that slide from under the vehicle ) although i believe there are laws that govern a driver resting in a moving vehicle
you can tell us rog.
What about the poor kids on a 30 hour journey ? but then again i know of a Bulgarian coach company that runs a scheduled service from Victoria to Varna via Sofia, and they only stop for toilet/food break every 3/4 hours and thats with only 2 drivers.
I would ask the girl to keep dad updated as to what happens and what stops they make with times etc.
I didn’t see room for bunks
it was a double decker. luggage compartments so full, cases had to go in the aisle, and all seats were full,
used to do long haul coach trips.
but we used to send the 2 drivers ahead to overnight.
then feed the coach 1 or 2 man to them.
so that the drivers doing the euro part were fresh.
often they travelled as foot passengers on the same ferry.
taking over the motor as we got to France.
feeder team then returned on boat to dover as foot passengers,
to stop in digs or if naughty drive the car back.
I think there are many companies doing that kind of work without long breaks, like those who run Spain in the summer months, but i think its dangerous to keep luggage in the aisles, dont know about the legality of that. Most Foreign companies that do that have an extra luggage rack on the back of the coach, but us in the uk cant afford such luxury I hope she has a nice trip and i wouldnt worry too much.
Thats what i thought bertie. Roger, have a look at www. Balkanhorn and see the timetable, there is no room to to take a 9 hr break with the timetable, leave Fri evening victioria arrive Sofia Monday morning.
Leave Wed Arrive Fri. theres no way you can do a trip like that in 3 days if you have to take a 9 hr rest.
truckyboy:
Thats what i thought bertie. Roger, have a look at www. Balkanhorn and see the timetable, there is no room to to take a 9 hr break with the timetable, leave Fri evening victioria arrive Sofia Monday morning.
Leave Wed Arrive Fri. theres no way you can do a trip like that in 3 days if you have to take a 9 hr rest.
Then it must be done illegally by default from the info provided
truckyboy:
Thats what i thought bertie. Roger, have a look at www. Balkanhorn and see the timetable, there is no room to to take a 9 hr break with the timetable, leave Fri evening victioria arrive Sofia Monday morning.
Leave Wed Arrive Fri. theres no way you can do a trip like that in 3 days if you have to take a 9 hr rest.
Then it must be done illegally by default from the info provided
Unless drivers are sent ahead in a car, overnight and swap crews somewhere
truckyboy:
Thats what i thought bertie. Roger, have a look at www. Balkanhorn and see the timetable, there is no room to to take a 9 hr break with the timetable, leave Fri evening victioria arrive Sofia Monday morning.
Leave Wed Arrive Fri. theres no way you can do a trip like that in 3 days if you have to take a 9 hr rest.
Then it must be done illegally by default from the info provided
Unless drivers are sent ahead in a car, overnight and swap crews somewhere
Travelling time in car would count as EU regs other work
truckyboy:
Thats what i thought bertie. Roger, have a look at www. Balkanhorn and see the timetable, there is no room to to take a 9 hr break with the timetable, leave Fri evening victioria arrive Sofia Monday morning.
Leave Wed Arrive Fri. theres no way you can do a trip like that in 3 days if you have to take a 9 hr rest.
Then it must be done illegally by default from the info provided
Unless drivers are sent ahead in a car, overnight and swap crews somewhere
Travelling time in car would count as EU regs other work
I took trubster’s post to mean that the drivers would have a suitable rest period between travelling and taking the coach over.
bertiebus:
naughty boys if any luggage in the main walk ways.
its an offence to block any gang ways in case of emergencies.
My wife has just told me that the luggage was stored on some seats, not in the aisle,
but it still dosnt take away from the fact that the distance travelled and the amount of time,
Maybe they are doing it legally, but it just doesn’t look it to me
When I did coaches to Spain, feeder drivers would bring the coaches from all over the country to South Mimms services where the interchange of passengers took place. Then, us two ‘middle leg’ drivers would get the coach down as far as Perpignan, taking our four and a half hour breaks in the bunk. Then we would get off at Perpignan for nine hours in a hotel while an agency driver based in France took the coach down to resort and brought it back to us nine hours later. None of this three drivers on board business.
If we did the school skiing, then again, a feeder driver would bring it down to us and get off the coach. We could get it to the French Alps in our hours.
I felt sorry for the hostess. Depending who it was, they would work from Glasgow, Leeds, Swansea or Plymouth all the way to resort and back with just a two hour turnaround to grab a shower,and taking cat naps on the courier seat. They made a fortune though, more than the drivers I reckon !
One poor hostess from our company got thrown through the windsceen and was killed when the coach came off the road a few years ago. Wasn’t wearing a seatbelt
We all worry about any of our family,
My son has just passeds his driving test,
He’s out on the roads aswell,
I’d like to think he’s a safe driver,
It’s the rest of the idiots on the road.
I was just looking at the coach with a different pair of eyes, from the rest of the parents, like condition, tyres, tax,did it look overloaded…
We woulld all do the same, it’s in us to do the job properly,We look at things like that,
As the mums are probably looking at the other kids and how much kit they taking, and so and so hasn’t brushed her hair,
I hope she has a nice trip and i wouldnt worry too much.
open a beer mate and chill, its only a school trip, your girl will be fine 
