National Express.......

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domd1979

Veteran
Location
Staffordshire
Worth noting that National Express don't actually operate very many coaches themselves. Most of the work is put out to contract, so the coaches you see belong to all manner of various operators - for instance, Stagecoach used to run the 320, don't know if they still do. Hopefully, National Express HQ will follow up the complaint with the operator in question and get it dealt with.
 
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gambatte

Middle of the pack...
Location
S Yorks
Tetedelacourse said:
:biggrin::rolleyes::biggrin:
Do you have a mindset for country driving, a mindset for city driving, a mindset for suburban driving, a mindset for motorway driving etc? What happens if you get your mindsets mixed up? What happens if you fail to switch from one mode to another?

:biggrin::huh:;)

Nope, and I don't think they should either.
Just saying I see no difference between the way they drive in either environment and in the place I normally see them, they drive appallingly. All drivers of large vehicles have the same problem with losing momentum. just seems that NExp drivers appear more beligerant than others
 

classic33

Leg End Member
Can give you a copy of a letter used to make a complaint. Including where to write to.
Expect to be given as you say a standard response, but don't accept it if you disagree with the "findings".

dom1979
Was a passenger on one of their vehicles when the drivers head kept on going down to the steering wheel. Hence the written complaint.
 
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gambatte

Middle of the pack...
Location
S Yorks
Rec'd email:

Thank you for your e-mail.

We are currently investigating the points raised and we will contact you further once our investigations are complete.

Thank you for bringing these matters to our attention.

Yours sincerely


Lets see...
 

Cab

New Member
Location
Cambridge
I did once stop and tell a National Express driver who had just overtaken me dangerously what he had done wrong. He listened, went silent, and said sorry, he'd think about what I'd said and try not to do it again. Thats as much a result as I could have hoped for.

I'll be curious to know how they respond to you Gambatte; that email response is a promising start.
 
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gambatte

Middle of the pack...
Location
S Yorks
Just got a follow up mail, thought I'd post it.

Dear Mr *****

Thank you for your email regarding the behaviour of the National Express driver you encountered recently, and for telling us of your concerns.

I was very concerned indeed to read about the actions of our coach driver and I can tell you that under no circumstances will we tolerate the standard of driving you have described. Please let me explain what will happen now.

I have contacted the driver's manager and have sent on a copy of your complaint. I have asked for the driver to be interviewed and for your complaint to be discussed in detail. I have also alerted our compliance team, who are responsible for safety, to the seriousness of your complaint.

In addition to interviewing the driver, we will review the driver's performance record to date and will examine any supporting documentation which may assist, such as the vehicle's tachograph. The tachograph continuously records the speed of the coach and the hours driven by the driver.

Once we are satisfied that a thorough investigation has taken place, the driver's manager will decide what action to take. Extra training may be recommended or disciplinary action may be taken. Discreet checks and further monitoring are often arranged. In the most serious cases, the driver may be removed from the National Express coach network.

I have asked to be kept informed of the outcome and your complaint will be held on the driver's file and recorded on our central database, which is monitored on a regular basis. Whilst this information has to remain confidential, you can be sure that every single complaint we receive in connection with our drivers is thoroughly investigated and followed through to its appropriate conclusion.

I hope I have been able to assure you that the wellbeing of our customers and the safe operation of our coaches is of the utmost importance to us.

If there is anything else I can help you with please do not hesitate to contact me on 0121 450 8833 and I will be happy to talk to you.

Yours sincerely
 
Lets hope that this is indeed followed up and not fobbed off, I think nearly everyone here knows of the terror of being forced out of the way by either a truck or another large vehicle.

I don't think that drivers of large vehicles are aware of how terrifying it is when they bear down on you. Maybe instead of a formal disciplinary the driver could be placed on a bicycle and be muscled out of the way by a collegue driving a coach. (Especially good is sed collegue doesn't particularly care for the driver in question!!!)

Seriously though, making the drivers cack themselves in a brush with a coach/ artic etc etc like that would do a lot to clamp down on this threatening behaviour.
 

nethalus

New Member
Location
In my house
I remember when I did a silly thing once, well it wasn't entirely my fault. I had just overtaken a cyclist when some day dreaming passenger rang the bell for the next stop a bit on the late side. Which meant I had to pull in and stop, thus causing the cyclist the inconveneniece of then having to overtake me. I can imagine what thoughts were going through the cyclist's head "Stupid bus driver, fancy over taking me to pull into a stop" or probably stronger words!! I felt really embarrased and cringed as the cyclist passed me. I was half expecting an earful from him but he left to simply giving me a dirty look.
If the passenger had rang the bell in good time obviously I wouldn't have bothered overtaking the cyclist.
 
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gambatte

Middle of the pack...
Location
S Yorks
Hiya Netty
Wondered if I’d get a ‘bussies’ response:biggrin:

Don’t think NExp have that many stops or even if they have bells?;)
 
This has happened to me too, the driver overtook me and almost immidiately pulled into a stop forcing me to stop too, as the next lane was filled with traffic. When a gap opened up and I joined the second lane, the driver was looking out for me and held his hand up to say sorry - I waved back as I passed.

It was clear he knew he had made a mistake, there is a difference between a human mistake and someone being a tw@t. If he had passed me to close, or pushed me in towards the curb, I would have exchanged words - reaction appropriate to the situation is the key.
 

nethalus

New Member
Location
In my house
gambatte said:
Hiya Netty
Wondered if I’d get a ‘bussies’ response:biggrin:

Don’t think NExp have that many stops or even if they have bells?;)

I have been on a NatEx coach that did have a couple of bells but this was some years ago and it was an old coach. Genrally they have fixed stops so I suppose they don't really need bells.
 

domtyler

Über Member
Jacomus-rides-Gen said:
I don't think that drivers of large vehicles are aware of how terrifying it is when they bear down on you.

They probably think it is a really nice, calm, relaxing experience to have twenty tonnes of steel and rubber unexpectedly roar past at fifty miles an hour two inches from your head.
 

Maz

Guru
On the National Express there's a jolly hostess
Selling crisps and tea
But its hard to get by when your arse is the size
Of a small countryyyyy!!
Everybody sings ba ba ba da...


Anyone know who sang this song? It's bugging me.
 

domd1979

Veteran
Location
Staffordshire
Divine Comedy. Fantastic song.


Maz said:
On the National Express there's a jolly hostess
Selling crisps and tea
But its hard to get by when your arse is the size
Of a small countryyyyy!!
Everybody sings ba ba ba da...


Anyone know who sang this song? It's bugging me.
 
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