Swan Transit is wrongly advising their bus drivers. At the last Public Transport Safety Committee meeting I raised the issue of a bus driver who had been booked for pulling over in a bus stop and answering his mobile phone. You may have read my story in the last edition of union's The Wheel magazine.

I asked the W.A. Police representative where we could pull over if we had to answer the phone. I have been told that after consultation with Main Roads and Traffic
Branch that there is no such thing as a designated area that we can ‘stop or park a bus' for the purpose of answering a mobile phone.

A Bus stop is for the sole purpose of setting down or picking up passengers. So in a word unless you are parked up at an Interchange, Bus Station or terminus, DON'T USE YOUR MOBILE AT ALL! This would also apply if your depot calls you on the 2 way and asks if you can take a phone call. YOU CANT!

I have also been told that companies are now instructing their drivers to turn their mobile phones off and leave them in your bags. This is up to you, but I would
strongly suggest that you never have it turned off. Silent or vibrate maybe. But if you need it in an emergency and you have to go through the start up before you can call for help you are in real trouble.

I have made the PTA aware of the response from PTSC. I suggested that if we are not allowed to ‘stop or park' in a bus stop except for the purpose of picking up passengers, then surely it would follow that we cant stop at bus stops if it is a timing point and we are running early.

I await their response with interest.