Loading and Unloading Passengers
What this domain tests
This domain tests safe boarding and alighting: choosing a stop, controlling the door, counting passengers, and handling accessibility and luggage without blocking exits. The exam favors practical judgment questions about unsafe stops and passenger accountability.
Core rules
- Choose a legal, safe stop: curb side, out of travel lanes, clear of intersections, crosswalks, railroad tracks, and hydrants. If the stop is blocked, move to the next safe place rather than unload into traffic.
- Set the parking brake, place an automatic in Park or a manual in neutral with the brake set, and control the service door yourself.
- Count passengers as they board and leave. Assist riders who need help; operate the lift/ramp; secure wheelchairs with a four-point tie-down and lap/shoulder belt per the securement system.
- Stow luggage so the aisle, stepwell, and emergency exits stay clear. Do not let passengers stand in an exit area.
- Before closing the door, check the stepwell and mirror for late passengers; after unloading, check seats and overhead areas for sleeping passengers or children.
Worked example
A delivery truck blocks the marked curb, and passengers ask to step into the traffic lane. Reasoning: unloading into a live lane exposes them to being struck. The driver should wait briefly or move to the next legal stop, then unload curb side with the brake set.
Traps
Stopping in the travel lane; opening the door before setting the brake; losing the passenger count; allowing luggage in the aisle; letting passengers cross in front of the bus without checking traffic.