Loading and Unloading Passengers, Including Standees
This domain tests safe passenger movement at stops and the special rules for standees. Kentucky follows the CDL passenger standard: a bus may carry standees only behind the standee line and only up to its rated capacity. No passenger may stand forward of the line, in the stairwell, or in the doorwell.
Loading rules
Approach the stop early, signal, reduce speed, and stop parallel and close to the curb without mounting it or blocking a crosswalk. Set the parking brake, place the transmission in park or neutral as required, and open the door only when it is safe. Count passengers as they board; assist riders with disabilities and allow service animals. Do not allow riders in baggage compartments, and do not fuel with passengers aboard.
Unloading rules
Stop fully, secure the bus, and tell passengers about traffic,icy steps, or other hazards. Watch them exit using mirrors and direct observation. Close the door before moving, check both mirrors and blind spots, and move only when all passengers are seated or behind the standee line.
Worked example
At a crowded stop, a passenger wants to stand on the stairwell because seats are full. Refuse that boarding position. The stairwell is an exit path and a fall hazard, and the bus cannot move with a person there. If no legal standing space remains, the passenger waits for the next bus.
Traps
Moving with the door open; letting a standee stand ahead of the line; exceeding seated or standing capacity; unloading into a traffic lane; and failing to count passengers before leaving.