Who'll shoulder blame for bus incident?

Kirsty Gibbins • Published 12 Jul 2012 09:26 20 Comments

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Fiona at the junction where she was injured by a First bus (not the one pictured)

Shocked woman struck by bus while walking on town pavement

A WOMAN who says she was struck and injured by a First bus on a street corner in North Berwick has criticised the transport firm for failing to take swift action to investigate the incident.

Fiona MacDonald suffered extreme soreness and swelling in her arm and shoulder after a First bus collided with her at a junction on Station Hill at about 4.10pm last Sunday (July 1).

She told the Courier: "I didn't see the bus coming at all. I was walking on the pavement and looking at the ground, and then the bus hit my shoulder area very hard, nearly knocking me over.

"It may have been the wing mirror but I'm not sure. Luckily my sister, Katie, was behind me and caught me, so I didn't fall.

"I was very upset, especially as the driver did not stop the bus to see if I was OK, even though he had clearly hit me. Instead he continued driving down Station Hill road towards the High Street at a very fast rate."

Fiona was in pain for a few days following the collision, though did not require hospital treatment.

She reported the incident to First and to Lothian and Borders Police, but was left "very annoyed" when the transport company failed to get in touch with her immediately.

She received an automated email response from First upon sending her complaint last Monday, but it was not until Saturday - following an enquiry by the Courier - that a company representative visited Fiona in person and examined the scene of the incident.

"While the police were very helpful I did not receive a proper response from the bus company, which I think is despicable," the 23-year-old student, whose family runs a B&B in North Berwick, said on Tuesday.

"My family and friends were so outraged by this that I felt I had to try and do something to get them to take notice and notify local people of how dangerously this bus driver was, and still is, driving.

"It could have so easily have been worse. An inch to the left and it would have hit me straight in the head and body despite the fact I would have still been well on the pavement. And worse, if I had been a child or elderly person they may have been killed.

"My friends and my sister told me that they thought I'd been lucky because I hadn't seen the bus so my body was relaxed when I was hit. If I had seen the bus and tensed my body, they reckoned that my injury could have been more serious."

She is unsure what number of bus struck her.

A First Scotland East spokesperson said: "We are aware of this matter having received an email from Miss MacDonald, to which we acknowledged on July 2 that we would investigate the incident.

"That investigation is ongoing and we will work with the relevant authorities to determine exactly what happened. We will be in touch with Miss MacDonald as soon as our investigation is complete."

Fiona added: "The manager who came out to see me said that bus drivers are allowed to use the pavement occasionally but obviously shouldn't when there are pedestrians using the road.

"I don't think that there is any need for changes to the road. I think that in this case the driver simply wasn't paying any attention and he should have been more careful. Since it happened I've spoken to a few people in North Berwick who feel that the bus drivers are reckless and just fly around the place.

"The manager said that he expected there to be some form of disciplinary action against the driver and that they would be in touch with me when the investigation concluded."

A police spokesman said: "We are investigating after a 23-year-old woman was struck by the wing mirror of a bus in North Berwick. Enquiries are ongoing into the circumstances surrounding this incident."

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local
Unregistered User
Jul 12, 12:59
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"The manager who came out to see me said that bus drivers are allowed to use the pavement occasionally....why are they being allowed to drive onto the footpath...

Recommend? Yes 20 No 0
Common sense
Unregistered User
Jul 12, 16:36
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It may be necessary to use part of a pavement where the road is too narrow, however, to the detriment of those walking on it? Perhaps buses having to drive on a pavement are a good sign that the route is not suitable or road alterations are required, I'm no traffic management expert but I can make that deduction.

Another example of the absolute terrible driving behaviour and standards of 'some' bus drivers, these drivers shouldn't be allowed a mobility scooter let alone a huge, heavy bus.

To drive with aggression and lack of care when in control of these potentially dangerous objects is insane and drivers should be severely punished if displaying any sort of this behaviour, if you permit you promote and before long someone may be severely injured and possibly killed.

Many a time I have been confronted with buses driving straight at me when negotiating the corner when leaving Cockenzie just before the Power Station, they don't slow or check before overtaking the parked cars of those fishing and pull straight into the path of incoming traffic who have the right of way, it also seems they do so without caring and even appear to increase in speed with blatant disregard for anyone else.

I don't believe all bus drivers are total idiots and have seen some drivers display great road sense, courtesy and politeness to other road users, however, it does seem these good apples are few and very far between.

Recommend? Yes 12 No 12
Local
Unregistered User
Jul 12, 21:02
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Common Sense

From the picture there would appear to be plenty of space to turn a bus

re power station maybe if the cars weren't parked on the corner that you are talking about, there are more car drivers who cut round this corner.....they seem to think its OK to drive in the middle of the road

There is talk about double yellow lines on this stretch, and there are probably more aggressive car drivers than there a buys drivers.

I've seen a number of car drivers recently who think its OK to overtake at traffice islands (going round on the right hand side)

Recommend? Yes 9 No 5
Local
Unregistered User
Jul 12, 21:09
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the road junction has plenty of space, clearly down to bad driving.

yet how often do you see lazy car drivers driving into a car parking space Mount the footpath, rather than observing the highway code....

Recommend? Yes 11 No 0
Steven
Unregistered User
Jul 12, 22:21
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First Bus's attitude towards this incident has been nothing but deplorable. It's hardly surprising that the company has recently cut back its presence in East Lothian given its appalling customer service record.

Recommend? Yes 12 No 0
sexyandiknowit
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Jul 13, 11:22
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Bit silly walking with face down looking at the pavement in the first place! Always look ahead and be aware of traffic. My 4 and 2 year old know this! Only reason first group are being so ignorant about this matter is because they are in big financial trouble and have went far down a ditch they will be no longer a company at the end of this year

Recommend? Yes 3 No 14
Common sense
Unregistered User
Jul 13, 15:36
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Re to sexyandiknowit:

sexyandiknowit = Bit silly walking with face down looking at the pavement in the first place! Always look ahead and be aware of traffic. My 4 and 2 year old know this!

Me = Yes I totally agree, however did you actually read the story, she was hit from behind by the bus not from the front, nobody walks along a pavement checking around them all the time.

Re to Local:

Local = From the picture there would appear to be plenty of space to turn a bus

Me = Yes I agree, I didn't claim there wasn't enough space, I said that: "Perhaps buses having to drive on a pavement are a good sign that the route is not suitable or road alterations are required" This was a general comment about any route a bus uses.

Local = re power station maybe if the cars weren't parked on the corner that you are talking about, there are more car drivers who cut round this corner.....they seem to think it’s OK to drive in the middle of the road

Me = Regardless if there’s cars parked or not, the bus should slow and check before overtaking the row of parked cars, which never happens, buses just keep driving without checking if the road is clear, effectively bullying people out of their way. How you describe cars is how the buses drive, in the middle of the road, aka overtaking.

Local = There is talk about double yellow lines on this stretch, and there are probably more aggressive car drivers than there a bus drivers.

Me = I would fully agree with double yellows being painted there and yes you are probably right about there being more aggressive car drivers than bus drivers, however, statistically there are more car drivers than buses.

However my argument is, should there be any aggressive bus drivers around anyway, they have a professional driving job and there shouldn't be any, absolutely any, aggression by bus drivers. They can affect so many more lives than a single car driver can, theoretically speaking.

Local = I've seen a number of car drivers recently who think its OK to overtake at traffice islands (going round on the right hand side)

Me = At no point have I condoned the behaviour of car drivers, I actually didn't mention them at all, the point of this story and my argument/statement was that "some" bus drivers (Please read, I don't say every bus driver) drive terribly and have too much aggression and ignorance when driving. This should not be allowed at all due to their position of responsibility for so many people and such an object.

I also say: "I don't believe all bus drivers are total idiots and have seen some drivers display great road sense, courtesy and politeness to other road users, however, it does seem these good apples are few and very far between."

Recommend? Yes 7 No 9
local
Unregistered User
Jul 13, 17:07
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car drivers should also be professional.......one mistake can cause a pile up

mmmmm...however, it does seem these good apples are few and very far between.... how would you read this.....that the majority of bus drivers are bad........sounds like it

I commute to work 5 days a week... and see more aggresive car drivers ...... and find Lothian bus drivers have more respect than the car drivers that on the road i use.

Recommend? Yes 8 No 6
Local
Unregistered User
Jul 13, 19:13
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sexyandiknowit

mmmm you must have the best footpaths in the world.......

you'll find in this day and age of dog poo and the state of footpaths that you need to watch where you are going.......

should the woman have been walking backwards....sorry the bus hit her from behind.

Recommend? Yes 9 No 0
Common sense
Unregistered User
Jul 13, 23:34
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Re Local:

Local = car drivers should also be professional.......one mistake can cause a pile up

Me = Yes, however, majority of car drivers are not employed as drivers, you are totally misreading my reply. IT IS THEIR JOB, their PROFESSION therfore they should be PROFESSIONAL (please read paid employement for which they are expected to be of a higher standard than that of any regular road user and they have undergone training)

I'm explaining, or attempting for you, that no bus drivers should drive badly, yes there are bad car drivers but you expect that, you definately should not expect any bad driving from bus drivers. If after that you are still in disagreement its safe to say you condone bad driving by bus drivers and you are probably a bus driver, work for a bus company, related to someone who works for a bus company etc etc.

Local = mmmmm...however, it does seem these good apples are few and very far between.... how would you read this.....that the majority of bus drivers are bad........sounds like it

Me = Ok, to put this in no other way of interpretation, even by you, I have found (Please concentrate on the 'I' of the last sentence) that the majority of bus drivers 'I' have encountered have driven in a bad way somehow, through not indicating when pulling out, forcing their way out at junctions, overtaking parked cars forcing other road users to take avoiding action to avoid damage to the bus and other vehicles.

Local = I commute to work 5 days a week... and see more aggresive car drivers ...... and find Lothian bus drivers have more respect than the car drivers that on the road i use.

Me = I also commute 5 days a week whilst also driving to and from buildings I work in around Edinburgh and the Lothians and to my experience both First and Lothian have been responsible for equal experiences of bad driving.

I must also stress that I'm not painting all bus drivers as being bad, you are simply not reading my replies correctly. I have been waved out of junctions and treated very well by a lot of bus drivers but my statement here was majority my experience of bad driving by bus drivers. I'm not on a bashing bus drivers vendetta, otherwise I wouldn't have stated that some drivers have demonstrated the correct way to behave.

Recommend? Yes 6 No 9
local
Unregistered User
Jul 14, 10:58
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me

i dont commute by car or bus.....so from first hand experience find that bus drivers give me more space than car drivers

car drivers for some reason think its OK to pass that close that you could clean there wing mirrors.. yet they would never ovetake a car that close

its always amazes me how people see bad bus drivers, yet they miss bad driving by car drivers

Drivers should all be professional irrepective if they are paid or not.

Its basic highway code stuff!!!

Recommend? Yes 6 No 4
local
Unregistered User
Jul 14, 11:05
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the point of this story is that one bus driver made a mistake

shoud one drivers mistake reflect on all bus drivers?

Recommend? Yes 10 No 0
Common Sense
Unregistered User
Jul 14, 14:10
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RE: Local

I didn't insinuate in any way that I miss bad driving by car drivers, I see a lot of bad driving by car drivers actually, nevertheless the point was bus drivers driving. It seems to me that you're not understanding a quite easy to understand point.

Bad driving by buses shouldn't be expected because they are paid professionals expected to drive well due to the advanced training they have undertook and the amount of driving they do.

Car drivers don't normally undertake advanced driver training or undertake frequent assessments to ensure they are driving safely therefore the fact is you, as a road user, should expect but not condone the fact that there are bad car drivers out there. But what I am attempting to put across is you expect bad car drivers, should you really expect bad bus drivers????

Should've guessed you may have been a cyclist, do you really want to get me started on cyclists as well, you want equal opportunities and to be treated equally on the roads.

If it were up to me I'd make sure all cyclists should get insurance, pay road tax and complete a recognised test to allow you to cycle on any road and then you may dictate to car drivers and other drivers how you wish to be treated.

I'm sick of cyclists who shout discrimination from drivers then continue to ignore give way signs, roundabouts and red traffic signals and on top of that cyclists cycle far too into the middle of the road then wonder how people have to pass you so close or you end up getting smacked by a wing mirror. The attitude of some (SOME) cyclists stinks and it riles drivers through their ignorance and attempts to be cheeky through cycling too far from the left hand side of the road, thus preventing safe overtaking, maybe that's why they have to pass so close.

I agree that car drivers should drive carefully and with courtesy, however, they aren't expected to be PROFESSIONAL, that would assume that driving is their PROFESSION, please understand the word use, normal drivers are not PROFESSIONALS therefore they can't be expected to be PROFESSIONAL when driving. Careful, aware and courteous yes but not professional.

RE to Local 2:

Local = "the point of this story is that one bus driver made a mistake, should one drivers mistake reflect on all bus drivers?"

Me = No, not all bus drivers are being tarred as being bad, if you read the posts you'd see that no one, in any way, has claimed that ALL bus drivers drive badly, just that there are quite a few who do.

Recommend? Yes 5 No 8
local
Unregistered User
Jul 14, 16:11
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"the point of this story is that one bus driver made a mistake, should one drivers mistake reflect on all bus drivers"

Recommend? Yes 6 No 2
local
Unregistered User
Jul 14, 16:23
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If it were up to me I'd make sure all motorist should get insurance and VED.

VED(or road tax as we all call it) is based on a vehicles emissions. In fact there are a few cars about that pay no road tax (and they are even electric)

I see more cars doing exactly what say about bikes.

Ignoring amber/Red lights, speeding, driving on the wrong side of the road at traffic islands etc etc etc.

And as you would say not all cyclist are bad....you get bad car drivers so does that mean all car drivers are bad

When I'm on the road I dont drive up the rear end of other vehicles or drive within a few feet when overtaking or overtake and then cut in...

Recommend? Yes 6 No 4
ihatepoliticians
Unregistered User
Jul 14, 17:22
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There is a MINORITY of bus drivers, car drivers, taxi drivers and cyclists who don't give a dam about the pedestrian.

I have seen taxis , private motor vehicles and buses go through red lights when I have been crossing the road when the "green man" is showing. Cyclists are just as bad - some of them do not have any road sense.

Recommend? Yes 8 No 0
local
Unregistered User
Jul 14, 18:19
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you: I'm sick of cyclists ..........top of that cyclists cycle far too into the middle of the road then wonder how people have to pass you so close or you end up getting smacked by a wing mirror

answer: highway code - How to cycle safely on the road: ride well clear of the kerb - 1 metre away or in the centre of the left lane

how to overtake : give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car

Recommend? Yes 7 No 4
Common Sense
Unregistered User
Jul 14, 20:48
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RE to Local =

"If it were up to me I'd make sure all motorist should get insurance and VED.

VED(or road tax as we all call it) is based on a vehicles emissions. In fact there are a few cars about that pay no road tax (and they are even electric)"

I'm sorry but do you actually read what you type before posting, as far as I'm aware it is a requirement, ALREADY, that all mototrists are required to have insurance and VED or road tax as it's known to almost everyone else apart from you.

However, why are electric cars being dragged into this, what have they ever done to anyone, yes they are exempt due to their practical 0% emissions, apart from those emissions which are created when the electric is created to fuel these vehicles.

RE to Local 2 =

"answer: highway code - How to cycle safely on the road: ride well clear of the kerb - 1 metre away or in the centre of the left lane"

Is that why the cycle lanes which are painted throughout the Edinburgh and Lothians area are on the left hand side, next to a kerb, and are no wider than about 1 metre. Does that mean all local authorities are wrong???

Some cyclists are unpredictable and weave in and out when cycling, causing uncertainty on where they might cycle next, they also don’t check behind them or indicate when passing by parked cars, they immediately assume they should just pull right out in front of following traffic.

I have seen cyclists cycle in a 2 side by side formation which creates greater hazards to themselves and to others when attempting to overtake, they continue to do so at hazardous points along a road such as roundabouts and diccicult corners.

I have also seen cyclist come up to red traffic lights, get off their bike, cross the crossing then get back on their bikes. Is it any wonder that so many road users have such a bad impression of cyclists and have no time or respect for them. They create problems for themselves through being so ignorant and so blatant at times.

It seems this discussion had strayed from bus drivers to cyclists and electric cars, amazing how discussions can stray.

Recommend? Yes 4 No 6
local
Unregistered User
Jul 15, 12:21
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"I have also seen cyclist come up to red traffic lights, get off their bike, cross the crossing then get back on their bikes"......which is called being a pedestrian.....which is perfectly legal in this country.. its the cyclist that go through red lights on their bikes that get other cyclists a bad name

depending on the road conditions you can cycle 2 abreast (highway code)....I think it should be banned..

I've see cars drivers that think its OK to creep over the stop line at red traffic lights, I've watched car drivers who thinks its OK to fail to stop at zebra crossings.

Now what was this about ONE BUS driver who made a mistake.

Like every other road user does everyday...

Recommend? Yes 4 No 2
local
Unregistered User
Jul 15, 12:35
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"do you actually read what you type before posting

"If it were up to me I'd make sure all cyclists.......pay road tax "

CYCLES = zero emissions = zero VED, why would you spend millions introducing VED for cycles.

Car drivers are no better when it comes to indicating........many drivers use them to get excemption when parking on crossingby switching on their hazards .......

There is no perfect road useris there ?....some people think so

We all need to take responsibity for our use of the road dont we ?

Recommend? Yes 6 No 1

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