And this goes way way way beyond their overcharging train users for a shit service. This goes into the realms of actually breaking the law. Yes, the legislation that governs the land and that you and I are expected to abide by. Of course, South West Trains are obviously above the law. Well, naturally…
I present to you The Evidence:
This is a photograph taken on my camera phone in the early hours of this morning. It clearly shows people on a replacement coach standing in the aisle. This coach is the replacement coach for the replacement bus service that broke down. I shit you not. Anyway, that is not the point I am making (this time – the full horror story will follow in due course, a tale of incompetence, uncaring and downright useless staff and British society at its worst). The point here is: the coach was over-capacity. Yet they still packed everyone onto it. And then proceeded to drive down the motorway in the dark at typical motorway speeds (for a coach, probably about 60mph) to W. When this picture was taken we were travelling at speed somewhere between B and W. When we were all packed onto this coach, we were right next to a road sign: the distance to W was 17 miles. South West Trains carried their customers in these conditions for 17 miles. Yes, I will repeat it: South West Trains were happy for their customers to be transported in these conditions for 17 miles.
It is illegal (yes, you read it right: ILLEGAL) for any vehicle to carry standing passengers on a UK motorway, even a private coach. What makes this worse in my eyes is that this was a public-used “service”. South West Trains willingly broke the law last night/this morning, AND endangered the lives of these customers.
Another quality offering of their attitude to fare payers.
And also yet another reason why they are fuckers and the fat cats should be stripped of their bonuses (and jobs actually, and come to think of it, strip them of their clothing and bring back public floggings).
Filed under: Commuting, South West Trains, Transport, rants | 7 Comments
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Illegal to have standing passengers? Wow, That’s part of the adventure on US Subways!
Maybe you should send this through to the train company and ask for their reponse?
Or Im sure one of the news companys (BBC?) would be happy to hear about this too.
Surely, this is down to the driver/operator of the coach, not SWT.
He/She should have told SWT staff that standing pax was not allowed on the coach.
I am afraid that that is passing the buck somewhat. The coach service was operated by Stagecoach – who own SWT.
Regardless of whether they are the same company, which they are, if SWT had hired another coach company, on taking them on to transport THEIR passengers they are responsible for the actions of anybody operating under their name. A replacement bus service to transport passengers on a SWT route is the responsibility of SWT. If there are legal wranglings about the actions of the driver of the coach in allowing more passengers on, that is for SWT to sort out, not for passengers like myself to. When my safety is in the hands of a train operator, I expect them to put my life first. Had there been an accident you could bet your bottom dollar I’d've taken this bloody company for every penny. And judges would rule SWT to pay passengers and then take up any grievances the SWT may have with a coach service they used as a separate matter (passengers aside).
But that is not the point. As I said, it was a Stagecoach bus…
Hi,
Came across this post when trying to find out if it was illegal to have people standing in the aisle of a coach. I need to research this further to find where the law lies with this but I have a feeling it is illegal.
So nearly 2 1/2 years later train companies still think this is acceptable, as this is exactly what happened to me yesterday on a First Great Western journey. I’m shocked and appalled and the fact that I paid money for this kind of treatment just infuriates me.
I shall be sending out a letter of complaint this week and will be interested in the reply.