Arriva Merseyside has joined forces with a host of local partners to raise awareness amongst cyclists about staying safe when moving around buses.
Along with teams from Merseytravel, Sustrans, Sefton Council, Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police, Arriva held an event on the campus of Liverpool University, to highlight the issues bus drivers encounter with cyclists travelling within their blind spots.
Pedestrians and cyclists were invited to sit in the driver’s cab to try and spot others congregated within the danger areas which were marked out on the pavement with yellow and black hazard tape. They then had the opportunity to discuss the experience with experts including Ray Cowpe (Regional Risk Manager for Arriva), and Speke driver, and keen cyclist, Charlie Fitzpatrick, to discover just how they can better keep themselves safe.
Due to positive feedback from visitors to the event, Arriva said it will be arranging a similar event next year.
Risk Manager for Arriva Merseyside, Collette Atkinson, commented: “Many people do not fully comprehend the difficulties bus drivers encounter when trying to navigate safely around the many different types of road-users who they share the streets with.
“Our drivers are trained thoroughly to remain as aware and reactive as they possibly can be, but we felt that it would still be beneficial to educate those who are more vulnerable on the road, as to what the real dangers of manoeuvring round a bus actually are.
“This event allowed cyclists to see things from a driver’s perspective. Everyone who sat in the cab was quite shocked at how close a cyclist could be to the bus without being seen in the mirrors. It’s a very real problem, and one we’re faced with every day, so we very much hope that by displaying the risks so clearly, in this interactive way, we were able to make the roads a safer place to be for everyone wanting to use them.”
