![]() So, to his quick thinking, we were all delivered safe to the other side. ![]() He said that he had been a tank-driver during the war and that a tank would have had no trouble getting onto the other side and decided to see if a double-decker could do the same. He said he could only think of two options as to what to do: one was to stop the bus and hope some-one would realise what was happening and stop it, but that left the possibility of the bus slipping back and perhaps toppling into the river the other was to continue driving and to “jump” the gap. ![]() The driver then told us that as he started to drive across the opening part of the bridge, he realised that the side that the bus was on was going up. The bus came to a halt and the driver came round to invite us to have a look at the gap that had opened on the opposite half. If bus driving sounds like it might be for you, then you can find more details about the apprenticeship scheme on Go-Ahead's site.Before we knew it, we were going across Tower Bridge but just as we had gone over the first half of the section that goes up there was aloud crashing sound and I was thrown onto the floor. I can't say I'll be swapping the desk job for a driver's cab anytime soon, but my experience behind the wheel has given me a newfound appreciation for the skills involved. Apprentices receive a salary (earn as you learn), and also get a free transport pass for all TfL services. The course lasts between 12 and 36 months, depending on your flexibility. Recruits get a heady mix of classroom lessons and driving experience. Go-Ahead's apprenticeship scheme runs out of a new recruitment and training academy, bolted on to Camberwell Bus Garage. You just need to apply for a Category D entitlement, the provisional licence for driving these big beasts. Fancy a go yourself?Īnyone with a UK licence (held for at least two years) can learn to drive a double-decker. "It's mostly bus lanes, so it's not that scary," my instructor explains. New recruits are often treated to this baptism of fire. The bus might be easy to manoeuvre, but I'm not yet ready to deal with all the random hazards of Camberwell's streets. We're not going out on the roads today, for which I am grateful. What looks like a certain collision is avoided by the bus's ability to turn on an Oyster-tapped sixpence. You know that thing when you're sat on the top deck and you think 'no way is the driver going to make that corner'? Well it's the same in the driver's seat. ![]() "Keep going don't worry," says my instructor. We curve out on full lock, but I'm going to clip the bus to my front-left. Inside the bus garage.Īs I swing forward again, it seems I've fluffed it. Here, in my ridiculously stretched box, it feels like I need to take the curvature of the Earth into account. In my tiny Corsa, I can practically stick my hand out the window and touch the vehicle behind. Double-decker buses are used in movies like The Mummy Returns, Live and Let Die, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Thomas & Friends. It's not clear from the mirrors exactly how close I am to the parked bus behind. The London double-decker bus is not only a cultural icon, but it has been used in many movies in the past decades. The main challenge is to understand the length of the vehicle. Can I do something that most drivers don't need to tackle on-route: perform a three-point turn and drive out again? Other vehicles and pedestrians cross my path. Modern buses look a bit less vintage.Īfter a few turns around the yard, I'm asked to manoeuvre into the garage itself. The bus continues on auto at a steady 5 mph, no brakes or gas necessary. In contrast to the cliched oil tanker, the double-decker's turning circle is tight as a button. The secret is to wait until your body is level with the object you want to turn past, and only then move the wheel. Once I have the hang of the transmission, these beasts are a joy to drive. Note the disconcerting lack of seat belts. It's enough to fluster this rookie driver - and that's before we get to the 10 metres of omnibus trailing behind my seat. The bus moves forward as the brake is released. All London buses are automatic, and I have never driven an automatic vehicle before. My first three seconds of motion are bewildering. Go-Ahead has an ambitious programme to recruit 1,000 new apprentices by the end of the year. I'd been invited to Camberwell Bus Garage by the Go-Ahead Group, one of the major bus operators in London. My one-hour career as a bus driver was underway.
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