Safety in Busses
Despite the large amount of passengers that our buses accommodate, we work tirelessly to reduce the involvement of our buses in traffic accidents. The Safety and Maintenance Department in the Public Transport Division in Egged does not make do with mandatory actions derived from the traffic regulations, but initiates actions aimed at improving the knowledge and professional skill of the drivers and thus increasing the safety of traveling on Egged buses.
We act to improve and upgrade the level of safety of passengers and work to impart proper driving habits that match the standards we have set for all Egged drivers.
“Traffilog” System
A unique system intended for assimilating, improving and upgrading the level of safety for passengers by instilling correct driving habits in the drivers. Every bus manufactured from 2013 onwards has the above system installed, that monitors the driver’s driving performance and gives him a grade on the level of his driving with the help of a “traffic light” indicator installed in the vehicle: Green - Excellent score, orange, yellow and red.
A red color means a bad grade and indicates a grade that is not satisfactory and does not meet the set criteria. A driver who receives a red indication of his driving style is called to training sessions and guidance by special instructors assigned specifically to the above subject in each of the five clusters of Egged Public Transport. The instructors are exposed in real time to the scores of all the drivers under their responsibility and act in accordance with the score obtained.
Driver Training
A driving test at Egged’s driving school is a necessary condition for anyone applying to be a driver in Egged’s team, whether or not he had a bus driver license at the time of his application.
At the end of the training process, the driver is briefed by the safety officer in a comprehensive and detailed manner on the regulations and procedures that he is obliged to know as a condition of his work as a public vehicle driver and on the internal procedures and instructions that obligate Egged drivers.
A personal safety file is also opened for him by the Safety Officer. This file will accompany him for the duration of his work at Egged and it will store all the data related to the issue of safety during his work driving at Egged.
Every driver who is taken in at Egged, including a candidate who does not have a bus driver’s license, is checked for his driving safety record on the website of the Ministry of Transport’s database, that he meets the required criteria laid down in Regulation 585 a of the Transport Regulations and is qualified to drive / learn to drive a public bus.
If the student meets the required criteria, he enters a long course of study, in which he goes through a 148-hour theoretical course – about two and a half months, 4 weekly sessions, on the topics set by the “Licensing Authority” for the public vehicle driver course.
After and / or during the theoretical course, comes the stage of practical driving lessons. A driving instructor from our school conducts the practical training. The amount of lessons depends on the progress of the driver. The minimum number of lessons is determined by the level of the student’s driver’s license:
• The holder of a light motor vehicle driver’s license (B) is required by law to have a minimum of 40 lessons.
• The holder of a truck driver’s license (C. C1) is required by law to have a minimum of 30 lessons
• The holder of a driving license for a reticulated [semitrailer] vehicle (E) is required by law to have a minimum of 20 lessons
The driving lessons are conducted both during the day and after dark, in mountainous areas and on flat terrain, in urban traffic, in tunnels and on highways and intercity roads.
Only after the driving instructor determines that the trainee is ready – is he submitted for an internal driving test and is examined by the professional Director of the driving school.
If the professional Director determines that the student is ready, he is directed to a driving test conducted by a driving examiner acting on behalf of the Egged driving studies college, who is authorized to issue bus driving licenses by the licensing authority.
Even those who hold a bus driver’s license and have worked for another bus company and wish to be admitted to Egged, must pass a driving test.
The Safety Officer refers him to a driving test at one of Egged’s transport colleges. If the candidate has successfully passed the driving aptitude test, he is referred to the “Transition to the Bus Line” course and further training in “supervised driving” on a service bus line with passengers, accompanied and supervised by a “driver instructor” - a veteran driver with appropriate training.
If it is determined by the driving instructor in the initial assessment that the candidate is worthy of being an Egged driver in the near future, but needs reinforcement and additional brief training, he will enter a training course, receive 10 hours funded by Egged, free of charge, with the option of another 5 additional hours with special approval.
This process is carried out before he takes the steering wheel of an Egged bus.
As we have already stated, all drivers, including “returning drivers” - those who were previously Egged drivers, and left - whether for other public transport companies, or for other occupations, but wish to return to Egged, they also undergo a driving test at Egged’s driving school and, if found to be suitable - they undergo a driving refresher course conducted by a veteran driver who educates and guides them in “supervised driving”, as already stated, with passengers on a service bus line, before they are allowed to return to the bus steering wheel independently.
The same is true regarding Egged drivers who were on extended vacations, (about 3 months or more).
Upon their return to Egged, they are required to pass a driving test at Egged’s driving school.
The driving instructor decides if they should receive reinforcement and instruction in driving lessons and the number of lessons before they are allowed back behind the wheel.
“Transition to the Bus Line” Course and Apprenticeship Period
But that’s not the end of driver training. After receiving a bus driver's license or the training and approval to drive Egged buses, they must go through a “Transition to the Bus Line” course.
This course lasts for 3 concentrated days, during which the newly recruited drivers receive face to face theoretical training in “proper driving”, by means of a presentation given by the Safety Officer, which we will discuss later and additional training and guidance on the company’s procedures from other functionaries at Egged – how to drive literally, what is permitted and what prohibited.
They are also taught and practice the operation of the “Rav Kav” ticketing / validation systems that are installed on the buses. The safety training in “proper driving” given during the course by a safety officer, includes the mandatory expansion and refinement of the traffic regulations relevant to the driver of a public vehicle, the various and diverse procedures that are rigorous regarding the traffic regulations, such as a blanket ban on using a mobile phone while driving (including when picking up passengers, stopping at traffic lights or at bus stops), the implementation of the instructions of Regulation 168 of the Transport Regulations regarding the driving and rest hours of the drivers, the obligation to use the tachograph device (Regulation 364 (d), rules of conduct in case of involvement in a traffic accident (Regulation 144) and the obligation to report to Egged’s insurance department on any involvement in an accident and any police report registered against them.
Only at the end of these procedures – a personal driver safety file is opened for the candidate, the driver reads and signs documents and declaration forms in accordance with the requirements of the provisions of the law, in which he undertakes to drive in accordance with the laws and regulations and in accordance with the rules customary at Egged.
After the type / model of the bus on which he will work has been chosen for the driver, the driver undergoes dedicated training and instruction for driving and proficiency in operating that type / model of bus by a driving instructor for proficiency in operating the vehicle, who is a veteran driver (5 years or more, with no burdensome traffic history). If the driver transfers to driving a different type / model of bus, he must go back and undergo another appropriate dedicated training course before he is allowed to drive and transport passengers on the new model bus. This training, as stated, is given by veteran and experienced drivers at the cluster branches, who were trained for this by the vehicle manufacturers’ instructors and or at one of Egged’s transport colleges.
To expedite the intake of new drivers to Egged, each of the cluster branches in Egged has a “driver mentor”, who accompanies the young drivers during the first months of their work. The role of the mentor is to accompany the new driver in getting to know the nature of the work and the bus routes at the branch, to assist him in getting to know the administrative handling related to the driver’s work, such as approval and handling of work cards, reporting the description of the faults he discovered in the vehicle by entering them at the computerized driver’s station at the branch, etc.
In addition, the mentors assist drivers in all matters related to the handling of personal problems, problems of the pace of learning the work that may occur from a load in the work schedule and the adaptation thereof to a new driver, in direct contact and through mediation with officials in the branch and at Egged institutions.
The mentors fill out a monthly report on the progress of the intake of the new driver and his integration into the work.
The reports are forwarded to the branch managers, who examine the degree of suitability and integration of the new driver into the company, with the aim of keeping them employed with the company.
The “mentors” are drivers with seniority at the branch, who have a reasonable safety record, without disciplinary / safety complaints, significant public inquiries, who have a good sense of service and whose human relations are good.
Despite all the arduous training course presented above – we do not authorize a new driver to drive a long service bus route to and from Eilat during the first 6 months of being accepted by Egged during the day, and during the first 3 years during the night (20:00 - 04:00).
The drivers of the reticulated buses are also subject to restrictions. A reticulated bus driver must obtain a safety officer’s approval before being trained for the type of vehicle.
Such a permit is only given after the driver has accumulated at least 3 months of driving experience in an ordinary bus, without unusual involvement in accidents that are his fault.
The permission to drive the reticulated vehicle is granted by the Safety Officer, only after examining the driver’s personal safety file. If the driver is found suitable and meets the criteria for driving an reticulated bus, he must successfully undergo dedicated training in driving this type of bus.
Safety Officers at the Cluster Branches of Egged Public Transport
The safety officers invest a great deal in public relations, guidance and counseling for Egged drivers, especially for drivers at the beginning of their employment, in all professional matters directly related to their day to day work. Up to date information is streamed and distributed amongst the drivers, regarding substantial changes in traffic regulations relevant to public vehicle drivers, new procedures, etc.
Even drivers who have been absent for a long period of time and wish to resume driving, may do so only after they have attended a briefing and refresher course of the regulations and procedures given by the safety officer and have complied with everything required according to the procedure.
Safety complaints against drivers are thoroughly investigated.
Covert Safety Tracking of Drivers
The Safety and Maintenance Department at the Public Transport Division in Egged, through the safety officers in the cluster branches, do not make do with the supervision and training of drivers and their intake at Egged.
In a routine manner, the safety officers check every safety complaint about a driver that comes to us, these being mostly complaints filed according to Section 65 d of the Traffic Ordinance and which are designated “Procedure – 6”.
These complaints require the attention of the safety officer. These are complaints that refer to what appears to be unsafe conduct on the part of the drivers.
If it transpires that there is substance to the complaints, multiple complaints about a particular driver in a short period of time from different, unrelated citizens, at different times and in different places, this figure “states it eloquently”.
As the first step, the safety officer summons the driver to him and conducts a discussion with him and coordinates expectations, which is documented in writing on a designated form that is kept in the driver’s personal safety file and recorded in the computer system.
As the second step, we begin to follow the driving style of that driver using a hidden safety tracker and even a safety officer from another cluster and even a mounted surveillance using the safety officer’s vehicle, equipped with a road camera.
If it is found that this is indeed a driver whose driving style was found to have safety deficiencies, the driver is invited to the safety officer for a hearing procedure to present his version of the matter.
Here we present to him the complaint / s, the evidence and the findings of the surveillance, including photographs we took during the course of the surveillance.
At the end of the meeting / interview and after listening to the driver’s version and explanations – they decide on the procedures to be taken.
In the case of relatively minor offenses, it is likely that the interview with the safety officer is sufficient
Step two, a decision to refer the driver to a transport college / driving school, to test his driving ability, for repeated training and to bolster driving skills, referring to the common denominator in the nature of the complaints, if any.
Covert Safety Tracking of Drivers inside the Bus and from Surveillance Vehicles
In addition to trainings and instruction, in special cases, Egged also conducts covert safety inspections on buses. Covert surveillance is carried out by an undercover tracker posing as a passenger, usually an undercover inspector and / or a safety officer from another geographical area, who sits near the driver and keeps a detailed record regarding the manner of the driver’s driving and conduct.
The undercover tracker / safety officer even records the driving defects, on video, insofar as possible.
In addition to this, the safety officers at the cluster branches operate a road camera in the small vehicle, which is handed over to the safety officer's service, called Mamtan (Hebrew acronym for “driving tracking and documentation system”).
The safety officer follows the bus and records the course of the journey with a video recording, with an emphasis on adjusting the driving speed to the road conditions, maintaining a distance from the vehicle in front, making sure to drive in the correct lane, obeying traffic signs, safe overtaking according to the provisions of the law, etc.
If a safety deficiency is documented and, depending on the severity thereof, the safety officer invites the driver to watch the video, to clarify and correct the deficiencies and, if necessary, refers the findings to the body in charge of discipline at Egged. If necessary, the driver is sent to refresh his driving skills at Egged’s driving school.
Handling of Errant Drivers who have Accumulated Recurring Traffic Offenses and Driving Shortcomings
The approach is more severe regarding recidivist drivers (for whom traffic offenses and deficient driving have become a way of life).
The handling of such drivers is brought up once a month for discussion by the safety committee at the cluster branches, with the participation of the Branch Manager, the cluster HR Manager and the cluster branch safety officer. If necessary the Director of the driving school, a medical representative – from the “individual section” and a representative of the insurance department are also invited.
The driver is presented with the traffic violations, the safety complaints and / or the accidents in which he was involved.
The driver is given the right to voice his version of matters.
After hearing the driver’s version, the committee makes a decision on how to act regarding the driver in order to “return him to the straight and narrow”.
If a driver is found driving an Egged vehicle in a dangerous manner, the safety officer may, in coordination with and with the approval of the Director of Safety and Maintenance, order him to cease driving an Egged vehicle at once, for a period of up to 3 working days.
The corrective measures that are taken against drivers with abnormal involvement in traffic accidents due to their own fault, accumulation of abnormal safety complaints, are (from minor to severe):
• Summoning the driver for clarification talks, training and personal interviews are documented in writing by the safety officer.
• The more serious corrective action decided upon by the safety committee at the cluster branch is the suspension of the bus driver.
The length of time depends on the type of offenses and the severity thereof: In the less severe cases, he is prohibited from driving on the intercity routes and is only allowed to work on urban routes.
In more serious cases - he will be prohibited from driving at all until he undergoes a series of medical and / or psychological diagnoses and treatments and driving tests, in order to test the extent of his competence to serve as a driver of a public vehicle at Egged.
• In extreme cases - he will be prohibited from driving at all. He will be referred to the human resources department for placement in another job at Egged and even for a hearing and dismissal.
All safety-related complaints submitted to Egged are routed and handled by the safety officers at the branches. If it is found that a driver’s driving style does not comply with traffic laws and the rules of caution required by Egged, the safety officers take explanatory steps and, if necessary, refer the driver to professional training or to take punitive measures by means of the disciplinary body at Egged: “Authorized”, prosecutor and member court administration.
Safety Training
In order to minimize the number of road accidents that Egged buses are involved in, training sessions on proper and safe driving are held every year. The safety training sessions are provided for the drivers both on concentrated annual service days and in separate training sessions at the branches.
The instructor refreshes, updates and refines the various regulations and procedures for proper and safe driving, as well as the knowledge regarding the specific procedures in Egged.
At this time and in light of the Corona virus pandemic restrictions on gatherings, we developed and instructed the drivers with the help of a “safety teaching system” on the mobile phone and / or on the computer monitor.
This year, the drivers were instructed on the subject of “distraction while driving”, which was approved by the “Authority” and on a second subject – “Preventing a Bus from Knocking Down a Pedestrian”.
At this time we continue to guide our drivers without the need to gather, but through learning through the mobile phone device.
At the end of reading the lesson, the driver is required to pass a test with a passing grade of 80.
If he fails, he will have to read the lesson again and take the test again.
The safety trainings are diverse and include various types: A uniform safety presentation for new drivers in the “Transition to the Bus Line” course, training for preventing “distraction while driving”.
We have now completed developing another training course and distributed it for the training of small vehicle drivers, on the subject of “Preventing a Bus from Knocking Down a Pedestrian”.
In addition, training in proper and economical driving, both theoretical and practical, training sessions and driver training for proficiency in operating the various types and models of buses, etc.
The safety and maintenance department in Egged’s Public Transport Division does not make do with the actions that are required and derived from the traffic regulations alone, but initiates creative ways of doing things and solutions on how to intensify and improve the level of knowledge and professional skill of the drivers, including the implementation of a structured work plan in cooperation with all sections of the public transport department in particular and Egged in general, an ongoing effort to reduce traffic accidents at Egged, with the cooperation of all the branches and departments of the Public Transport Division, thereby contributing to a significant increase in safety when traveling on Egged buses.
In Conclusion
The Director of the Public Transport Division, the management of the senior forum / the members of the Board of Directors, led by the CEO of Egged, allocate a great deal of resources to the activity of the safety officers in the cluster branches, out of a desire that Egged drivers will meet the high standards set for them and observe a high level of safety and caution in their work.
The principle of providing personal, individual and professional handling of the driver, who serves as the spearhead of the company, is that an instructor who guides the safety and maintenance department in the Public Transport Division, in dealing with the tasks it faces on a daily basis, in view of the reality that brings together the leading driver and representative of the company in his work, with problems that require professional answers and solutions.
We do this through and with the help of a team of 18 safety officers and the chief accident examiner from the Insurance Department at Egged, who, in addition to his job as an examiner, also serves as a safety consultant.
All the extensive safety activities are carried out so that the driver, in his driving, will bring to light the high level of safety and the best level of quality service for our passengers.
Want to read more?
In the article “Safety Above All” of September 2018, a fascinating interview was conducted with Egged’s safety officers as well as in-depth interview with Dan Artzi, Egged’s safety officer up to 2014.