Call to reduce bus driver hours

Stagecoach said safety was its number one priority

Members of the Unite union have renewed calls to reduce the number of hours worked by bus drivers after members raised safety concerns.

Some drivers in Greater Manchester have told the BBC the five-and-a-half hours they spend behind the wheel before a break puts passengers at risk.

Stagecoach, one of the city's biggest bus firms, denied the claim and said safety was its "number one priority".

The Department for Transport (DfT) said it was currently reviewing guidelines.

John Townson, who has been a bus driver in Greater Manchester for 30 years, was one of three drivers who told BBC Radio Manchester their schedules were putting passengers at risk.

"Drivers are under pressure - it's all down to pressure," said Mr Townson.

"[There is] a bit of pressure of 'these are the times' so the drivers are thinking 'got to make them'. And that's when accidents happen."

There's no objective evidence that supports the allegation that safety is at risk Mark Threapleton, Stagecoach Manchester

John Leech, the Liberal Democrat MP for Withington, said he would be looking into the claims.

"We have to take it quite seriously when drivers are suggesting that they might be putting passenger safety at risk," said Mr Leech.

But Mark Threapleton, the managing director of Stagecoach Manchester, told the BBC that his company did not compromise on safety.

"There's no objective evidence that supports the allegation that safety is at risk. Safety is our number one priority above everything else," he said.

"Drivers are expected to do the best they can to run on time. They've got to take into consideration all sorts of things, but they also know that safety should never be compromised."

Government review

Under guidelines for passenger carrying vehicles, drivers on journeys of less than 50km can drive for a maximum of five-and-a-half hours before they must take a break.

Drivers completing journeys of more than 50km, such as coaches, must take a break after four-and-a-half hours.

Unite has been lobbying the government to change the guidelines covering bus drivers and are currently in talks with the DfT.

"Drivers' hours rules exist to protect drivers and passengers," said a DfT spokeswoman.

"To ensure that the balance is right between operational flexibility and road safety we are currently carrying out a review of the rules and gathering evidence on all these issues."