In September 2009 the following work began on all ACTION Buses:
Reversing Warning Beeper
- Drivers are to follow procdure when when reversing, a beeper will go off when the reverse gear is selected to let people outside the bus know the bus is reversing.
Park Brake-Drivers Cabin Safety Alarm
- Orange BusesIf the drivers cabin door is opened when the park brake isn't properly engaged a beeper will sound. The alarm will only turn off when park brake is properly engaged (so closing the cabin door does nothing).
- Green BusesOn all buses from 390 onwards the beeper has been replaced with an audible warning message. From November 2009 buses 300-389 will have this retrofitted.
I don't see the point in retrofitting the alarm in the green buses as the doors can't be shut from the outside button if the park brake isn't properly engaged.
The new buses do all speak, as some drivers have started to take off with the cabin door open & the young young says "Parkbark not engaged blah blah blah. That is until the driver shuts that cabin door, engages parkbrake. Then takes parkbrake off & drives off.
This has become a standard in most operators nowadays, hardly anything new, the amount of instant drivers around these days it is a good idea.