How to deal with radio room intimidation

According to reports from a number of depots, it appears that the issue of radio room intimidation continues.

In particular, we’ve heard reports that radio room operators have been instructing drivers to drive with a faulty speedometer – and expecting drivers to be able to know what speed they are travelling due to their professional experience. As drivers, we are NOT speedometers – and nor should we be expected to be. In fact, its extremely important for us to have access to information about what speed we are travelling so that we can keep our passengers safe on the road. We’re also the ones who get penalised if we’re over the speed limit – risking the very licence that we rely on to do our jobs.

Similarly, reports from Brookvale indicate that there are a lot of buses where the dashboard does not light up when the headlights are turned on. This means that at nighttime, drivers can’t see their instrument panel. This has been reported, but so far it appears no action has been taken to fix this issue.

At no stage should any driver be expected to operate a vehicle which is faulty or unsafe.

You are in control of the vehicle, and in the end, its up to you to make the final call on whether it’s safe to operate.

No matter what you are told by radio room, you should never drive a vehicle which you think is defective.

If your vehicle has a broken speedometer, or a dashboard that does not light up, you should request a changeover.