Loading and Unloading Passengers
Loading and Unloading Passengers
This domain tests safe stops, door control, rider counting, and baggage handling. Most marks are lost by rushing a stop or opening the door before the bus is secure.
Core rules
- Pull fully out of the traffic lane when practical, stop smoothly, set the parking brake, and use four-way flashers as required.
- Open the door only after the bus is stopped. Keep it closed while moving.
- Watch riders board and leave; use handrails and stepwells. Do not let anyone stand forward of the standee line or block the aisle.
- Load within seated and standing capacity. Do not allow baggage in the aisle, at the door, or in an exit path.
- At unloading, choose a safe place. Warn riders about traffic, ice, or uneven pavement. Do not wave riders across lanes; let them choose a safe crossing.
- Before moving, count riders and check mirrors and the area around the bus.
Worked example. At a curbless stop, a rider steps down into the traffic lane. You should keep the door closed until you can position the bus so riders exit onto a shoulder or sidewalk, or choose another stop. If that is impossible, hold the bus and explain the hazard. Letting riders out into moving traffic is not a courtesy; it is an unsafe act.
Traps that cost marks
- Opening the door while still rolling.
- Forgetting the parking brake at a stop.
- Not counting after unloading and leaving a sleeping rider aboard.
- Allowing standees forward of the line or baggage in the aisle.
- Assuming a rider will cross safely.