Vehicle Familiarisation and Pre-trip Checks
This domain tests whether you know the bus you work on and whether you check it before the first trip, so that defects are found in the depot rather than on the road.
Documents to confirm before departure
Registration certificate, valid insurance, fitness certificate, stage carriage permit, tax receipt, pollution under control certificate, the driver's driving licence and your own conductor's licence. A missing or expired document means the vehicle should not be dispatched.
Walk-round checks
- Tyres: pressure, cuts, bulges, exposed cords, adequate tread; check the spare and tools.
- Lights: headlamps, tail lamps, brake lamps, indicators, hazard lights, interior lights, step lights.
- Brakes: pedal feel and air pressure build-up; listen for air leaks.
- Steering free play, mirrors, wiper blades and washer, horn.
- Doors and emergency exits: open, close and latch properly; break-glass hammers in place.
- Fire extinguisher: pressure gauge in the green, seal intact, within test date.
- First aid box: present, sealed, in date.
- Handrails, seat fixings, floor condition, aisle clear.
- Fluids: engine oil, coolant, fuel; battery terminals secure.
Defects
Record any defect on the defect sheet and report it to the depot in writing. A safety defect - brakes, steering, tyre, door or fire equipment - means the bus does not move until it is rectified. Never sign a check sheet you have not actually carried out.
Worked example
During the walk-round you find a rear tyre with a deep sidewall cut but correct pressure. Reasoning: a sidewall cut is a structural failure risk and cannot be judged safe by pressure alone; the vehicle is held, the defect is recorded, and the tyre is changed before the trip.
Traps that cost marks
Signing a pre-trip sheet from habit; treating a minor lamp defect as unimportant; and assuming the driver's checks cover your responsibilities.