People Skills: Looking After Minibus Passengers

Driving a minibus becomes a people skill in itself because minibuses are people movers

. Moving people successfully isn't difficult but the following pointers will make it as easy as possible, provided you pay attention to them.

The first point to acknowledge is that the roadworthiness of your minibus is your responsibility. Even if it's just been serviced, you must make sure that the vehicle is fit to take passengers, especially as the best case scenario if it isn't is the invalidation of the minibus's insurance. In addition, make sure that any luggage carried is securely fixed; the need for passengers to have free access to two exits at all times means you won't allow luggage to clog the aisle or doorways.

Pre-journey planning is never wasted. Knowing where you're headed and the approximate timings of each stage of the journey forearms you; you can brief your passengers, after you close (but not lock) the minibus's doors. Tell them about the journey times and give them a full schedule of, shall we say, comfort breaks, as well as meal breaks. For passengers, it's always better to travel knowledgably than be kept in the dark!

Passengers behaving badly can cause minibus accidents. A few ground rules added to your briefing will help negate this. Start with the obvious by telling the passengers to belt up. This isn't as rude as it sounds; all minibus passengers must wear their seatbelt and children under 135cm in height must use a child restraint. While it's likely that securely seatbelted passengers will stay in their seats, it's important that they stay there whenever the vehicle is moving. Equally, it's wise to discourage anyone from chatting with you while you're driving. This is a potentially dangerous distraction, as is use of a microphone when on the move. Should the minibus be wired for sound, avoid the temptation of playing tour guide to your passengers.

In one instance, the minibus driver can't be expected to act as driver and conductor, as it were. When children are carried, it's essential to have a passenger assistant, who can curb the children's excesses for you. It's wise to take an assistant who is trained and licensed to drive the minibus, should the need arise.

There are ground rules and practices that apply to specific groups of passengers. A 'no alcohol' rule may sound Draconian but having one makes sense. In fact, it's illegal for passengers to consume alcohol in a minibus when travelling to and from a sporting fixture. Disabled passengers wheelchairs mustn't face sideways and it's usual to secure wheelchairs in the minibus, rather than relying solely on their fitted brakes. Certain passengers may have special requirements, which you can cater for, provided you know about them in advance.

The matter of safety comes to the fore when passengers enter or leave the vehicle, whether they're in a group or being dropped off individually. Should an accident occur, it's important to keep control of the passengers as well as keeping calm. Unless there's an evident risk in doing so, such as a fire risk, keep everyone aboard, especially in busy areas and on roadside hard shoulders.

Regular minibus drivers are advised to take a driver training course, such as Community Transport Association (CTA)'s MiDAS (Minibus Driver Training Scheme). Apart from covering all aspects of passenger care and giving guidance on dealing with passenger illness and emergencies, this could reduce your minibus insurance premium.

by: Louise Slee

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