Did that bus just drive straight past me?

First of all, here are a few examples of what can lead to this situation:

• When passengers who are sitting in the bus-stop shelter show no sign of wanting to board when the bus arrives. They don’t stand up, may be distracted and therefore don’t notice the bus in time or at all.
• When passengers are standing out of sight at the stop (for example, behind the shelter rather than at the front by the road) and are thus difficult to see.
• In certain weather conditions: It’s getting dark, raining, or snowing. Especially in the colder months, passengers often wear dark clothing, making them even harder for our drivers to spot them.
• When the lighting at the bus stop is defective or insufficient. By the way: If you ever have to wait at a dark stop, you can easily report missing or broken lights here.
• When there is a complex traffic situation at the stop, for example, due to an accident or an illegally parked car.

When it comes to pass-bys, it can certainly happen that our drivers overlook you from time to time. Of course, this isn’t the norm. However, please bear in mind that city traffic demands a lot of concentration from our drivers. It’s human to make mistakes at work – and as long as they’re as harmless as simply not seeing you they’re forgivable.

Sometimes, the bus may stop just a few metres down the road at a traffic light after passing you by and you might manage to catch up to the bus just past the stop. However, for safety reasons, you are not allowed to get on the bus outside of the stops. The so-called passenger exchange (boarding and alighting) can only take place within the designated bus stop area. Once all passengers have boarded and alighted, our staff have a responsibility towards other road users and, of course, to the passengers.

Once the passenger exchange is complete, our driver closes the doors, releases the brakes and indicates left. Passengers boarding the bus usually cannot see that the indicator has been set. However, the traffic behind the bus will be assuming that the bus is actively rejoining the road. If our drivers were to act otherwise and allow passengers to board after setting off and indicating, it could confuse road traffic, leading to misunderstandings and, in the worst case, accidents. The safety of our passengers is our top priority. For this reason, please understand if our staff keep the doors closed even if you’re knocking and begging to be let in. So we ask you to please not knock on the closed bus doors.

How can you prevent a pass-by?

• When the bus is approaching, make yourself noticeable. It helps to stand up and not be distracted. There’s no need to stand in pouring rain or climb the bus stop pole and wave a flag, but in general, making yourself clearly visible helps our drivers see that you really want to get on.
• If you’re at a poorly lit or unlit stop, you can turn on your phone’s torch and, if in doubt, wave.
• Time management: Try not to arrive at the stop at the very last minute.