Brake-Door Interlock, Bus Stops, Loading Zones, and Rider Safety in Motion
Domain 4 covers the door system that keeps riders from being dragged or crushed, plus how you approach a stop and manage people while the bus is moving.
Brake-door interlock
On transit-style buses the door normally opens only with the parking brake applied or the transmission in neutral, and the bus will not move - or the brakes apply automatically - while the rear door is open. Sequence: signal, stop, set the parking brake, neutralize, open the door. To leave: close the door, confirm the warning light and buzzer are off, release the brake, shift, check mirrors, then move. Never tape, jumper, or otherwise defeat an interlock.
Stops and loading zones
Pull in smoothly and stop close to the curb (about 12 inches where practical), clear of crosswalks, hydrants, driveways, and loading-zone markings. Use four-way flashers where appropriate. Before opening the door, scan for cyclists and scooters - a rider in the door zone is the classic dooring crash.
Riders in motion
Do not move until passengers are seated or holding a handrail. Brake and accelerate smoothly, announce stops early, keep scanning the interior mirror for standees, and keep conversations with riders brief.
Worked example
You release the parking brake and the bus lurches with the rear door still open and the buzzer sounding. The interlock is not holding, so you stop, set the brake, cycle the door once, and if the fault repeats you tag the bus out of service and report it - you do not just be careful.
Traps
Releasing the brake before the door is closed; assuming the interlock worked because it worked yesterday; opening the door while still rolling; stopping five feet from the curb and calling it close enough.