Intercity Xpress Bus Hazard

[Terminator]

Hey guys, does anyone perhaps have a contact with some influence in the Intercity Xpress bus company? 

 

Here's an incident involving an Intercity Xpress bus I'd like to share. I've tried posting it to their FB page but it seems it won't allow. I haven't called the customer care number on the bus, as I don't really want to engage with a telephone operator over this. I've tried accessing their website to get an email contact but can't seem to open the page:

 

 I'd like to report an incident I had with an Intercity Xpress driver this morning, Sunday 1 September. I was cycling North to South through Manaba on the KZN South Coast just before 7am, and the Intercity Xpress bus HT11VX GP came past me from behind with centimeters to spare. I was riding alone and was within the yellow line margin of the road. The bus was stopped at a traffic light shortly after and I rode past and shouted to the driver to have some respect for other road users. He came past me again after that a purposely tried to run me off the road....

 

 I know just down the road in Margate is the Intercity pickup point so knew I'd see him there again. I stopped at the bus and started to take photos of the registration plate, and tried to take a photo of the driver who then shoved me, and pushed my phone away threatening me "Just carry on and I will f...ing hit you" . I'm not one to back down from a confrontation, but I left the scene as bike vs bus, and driver and mob with growing interest vs cyclist wasn't going to end well for me.

Can something be down about this aggressive driver? He is a risk to other road users and shouldn't be driving alone, never mind with a bus full of passengers.

[DJR]

Get hold of the CEO of the company and write him a letter.

 

Explain what happened and the huge implications killing a cyclist can have for the company, especially in the light of how it will be splashed all over the media that they are know known for employing aggressive drivers. Ask that they re-train the specific driver with regards to safety of cyclists and pedestrians and make him aware of the fact that he may lose his public drivers permit and his job. Also ask that they include a specific chapter in their driver training and assessment on how to approach cyclists safely and stress the dangers of passing so closely at speed with a large vehicle like a bus.

 

Depending on his approach, decide on your next step.

 

(The above is roughly what I did with a Cape Town bus company after I had several close calls on the narrows of Chapmans Peak a few years ago. The response was so positive that I like to think a few cyclists are alive because of the changes the bus company made.

 

Best of luck.