Where write for a complaint about an ACTION bus?

magiccar9 said :

In response to the OP I wouldn’t bother with the Ombudsman. Those incompetent paper pushers wouldn’t know up from down. Your letter would just get passed from one person to another until is ‘disappeared’.

Did someone carp in your sandwich?

breda said :

Bus drivers are there to drive the bus – they are not security guards. Indeed, they are required to be in control of the bus at all times, which they can’t be if they are roaming around sorting out anti-social behaviour. Who do you think would be blamed if some idiot jumped into the driver’s seat and set the bus in motion while the driver was remonstrating with a passenger?

Agree that you should ask the driver to contact the cops (or do it yourself) if you think that is warranted.

As for putting misbehaving kids off the bus, can you imagine the outcry from their parents if dear little Tarquin or Samantha were ‘abandoned’ on the side of the road? The driver would be accused of child abuse, subjecting them to the risk of abduction and who knows what else. The drivers can’t win in that situation.

There was no way for the victim involved to contact the police immediately at that time. They were mugged on the bus, their phone was stolen.

magiccar9 said :

HenryG said :

magiccar9 said :

I’m not saying that the driver MUST do something, but when the incident is reported to them/conducted within breathing space of their faces, where are their morals? The driver could have removed the passengers in both situations from the bus. They have the right to do that and the responsibility to ALL other patrons to uphold the rules. I’m sure that somewhere inside their contracts it states that they have a duty of care to those on their busses.

In response to the OP I wouldn’t bother with the Ombudsman. Those incompetent paper pushers wouldn’t know up from down. Your letter would just get passed from one person to another until is ‘disappeared’. I would do a little digging. Find the most senior person within ACTION that you can and let them know.

I will do everything to push this as far as I can. If we all just “hardened up” and ignored the problems in the system for fear of “naming and shaming” someone who was in the wrong, then criminals have the green light to victimise anyone they can.

Lefty said :

Gantz said :

It doesn’t matter what occupation we have – as a human being, we should all have a duty of care for each other. If you don’t want to get involved, at least ring 000 or ask other people to assist you. Safety in numbers!!!

Too easy to turn a blind eye these days…..

Thank you Lefty. My sentiments exactly. That is all that was requested of the bus driver, to call the police! Apparently that was too much to ask. It’s nice to know that there are still decent people out there.

Bus drivers are there to drive the bus – they are not security guards. Indeed, they are required to be in control of the bus at all times, which they can’t be if they are roaming around sorting out anti-social behaviour. Who do you think would be blamed if some idiot jumped into the driver’s seat and set the bus in motion while the driver was remonstrating with a passenger?

Agree that you should ask the driver to contact the cops (or do it yourself) if you think that is warranted.

As for putting misbehaving kids off the bus, can you imagine the outcry from their parents if dear little Tarquin or Samantha were ‘abandoned’ on the side of the road? The driver would be accused of child abuse, subjecting them to the risk of abduction and who knows what else. The drivers can’t win in that situation.

magiccar9 said :

I’m not saying that the driver MUST do something, but when the incident is reported to them/conducted within breathing space of their faces, where are their morals? The driver could have removed the passengers in both situations from the bus. They have the right to do that and the responsibility to ALL other patrons to uphold the rules. I’m sure that somewhere inside their contracts it states that they have a duty of care to those on their busses.

In response to the OP I wouldn’t bother with the Ombudsman. Those incompetent paper pushers wouldn’t know up from down. Your letter would just get passed from one person to another until is ‘disappeared’. I would do a little digging. Find the most senior person within ACTION that you can and let them know.

Demanding morals will get you nowhere.

I’m sure ACTION drivers have their own safety as first priority. Ans so they should.

Bus drivers are not bouncers, cops or moral beacons.

HenryG said :

magiccar9 said :

I have had a couple of similar experiences on ACTION busses. The first time I was on a school bus, standing right next to the driver because of over crowding, two school bullies came from the back of the bus down to me. They seemed to have a problem with me, and one punched me in the side of the face. Did the driver even blink an eye? Nope!

The second time I reported to the driver that a passenger was consuming alcohol (whilst in the car of a < 1 year old child). Did the driver do anything? Nope!

Harden up sweetpea, what do you think the bus driver can do? Are you inferring that you would like to see a grown man get in a fist fight with school children because you got punched in the face. Your assult is a police matter not a matter that can be solved by a guy driving a bus. Did you take the drivers details and report the incident? How much do you actually think goes on, on a bus. The drug dealing the obvious violence and the rest of it. A bus driver is getting paid to drive the bus and make sure that your transport requirements are met.

If the driver did step in to help then he would be in trouble and the complaint would then be to action about him doing something. How about you people as citizens get off your own butts to help the fellow man.

The bus drivers have to put up with this sort of stuff happening everyday and just becuase it happens once while you are on a bus and it puts you out of your own little comfort zone you want to name and shame a bus driver who has done nothing wrong and feed him to the wolves.

Is it not better to let a person with an obvious drinking issue and a baby at the same time to ride the bus then to make them walk and put the infant in more danger. Did you get the persons details and contact the right authorities? What would you have the bus driver do?

I’m not saying that the driver MUST do something, but when the incident is reported to them/conducted within breathing space of their faces, where are their morals? The driver could have removed the passengers in both situations from the bus. They have the right to do that and the responsibility to ALL other patrons to uphold the rules. I’m sure that somewhere inside their contracts it states that they have a duty of care to those on their busses.

In response to the OP I wouldn’t bother with the Ombudsman. Those incompetent paper pushers wouldn’t know up from down. Your letter would just get passed from one person to another until is ‘disappeared’. I would do a little digging. Find the most senior person within ACTION that you can and let them know.

magiccar9 said :

I have had a couple of similar experiences on ACTION busses. The first time I was on a school bus, standing right next to the driver because of over crowding, two school bullies came from the back of the bus down to me. They seemed to have a problem with me, and one punched me in the side of the face. Did the driver even blink an eye? Nope!

The second time I reported to the driver that a passenger was consuming alcohol (whilst in the car of a < 1 year old child). Did the driver do anything? Nope!

Harden up sweetpea, what do you think the bus driver can do? Are you inferring that you would like to see a grown man get in a fist fight with school children because you got punched in the face. Your assult is a police matter not a matter that can be solved by a guy driving a bus. Did you take the drivers details and report the incident? How much do you actually think goes on, on a bus. The drug dealing the obvious violence and the rest of it. A bus driver is getting paid to drive the bus and make sure that your transport requirements are met.

If the driver did step in to help then he would be in trouble and the complaint would then be to action about him doing something. How about you people as citizens get off your own butts to help the fellow man.

The bus drivers have to put up with this sort of stuff happening everyday and just becuase it happens once while you are on a bus and it puts you out of your own little comfort zone you want to name and shame a bus driver who has done nothing wrong and feed him to the wolves.

Is it not better to let a person with an obvious drinking issue and a baby at the same time to ride the bus then to make them walk and put the infant in more danger. Did you get the persons details and contact the right authorities? What would you have the bus driver do?

ACT Ombudsman: http://ombudsman.act.gov.au/

“The ACT Ombudsman can investigate complaints about the actions or decisions of any ACT Government agency, including problems with: parking; public housing; debt recovery; dog control; building licenses and inspections; motor vehicle registry; contract/tender disputes with ACT Government agencies; public transport; planning, electricity or water supply; and Legal Aid.”

I have had a couple of similar experiences on ACTION busses. The first time I was on a school bus, standing right next to the driver because of over crowding, two school bullies came from the back of the bus down to me. They seemed to have a problem with me, and one punched me in the side of the face. Did the driver even blink an eye? Nope!

The second time I reported to the driver that a passenger was consuming alcohol (whilst in the car of a < 1 year old child). Did the driver do anything? Nope!

Lefty said :

Gantz said :

Do bus drivers have a duty of care towards passengers when there is altercation between them?

It doesn’t matter what occupation we have – as a human being, we should all have a duty of care for each other. If you don’t want to get involved, at least ring 000 or ask other people to assist you. Safety in numbers!!!

Thank you for that wonderful insight into humanity…

Too easy to turn a blind eye these days…..

It’s also very easy for the bus driver to end up in a bad condition due to the offeneder attacking them.

Gantz said :

Do bus drivers have a duty of care towards passengers when there is altercation between them?

Very easy for a bus driver to get on the radio and ask for Police to meet them at the next stop…

Who turned a blind eye at what?

Gary Byles gary.byles@act.gov.au, head of TAMS – and head of Action

Gantz said :

Do bus drivers have a duty of care towards passengers when there is altercation between them?

It doesn’t matter what occupation we have – as a human being, we should all have a duty of care for each other. If you don’t want to get involved, at least ring 000 or ask other people to assist you. Safety in numbers!!!

Too easy to turn a blind eye these days…..

Do bus drivers have a duty of care towards passengers when there is altercation between them?

or approach The Chronicle or The Canberra Times… better still, details here on RA…

Jon Stanhope
Minister for Transport

stanhope@act.gov.au

GPO Box 1020, Canberra, ACT 2601