Irish Coach Driver of the Year
Competition 2018
In Association with
Rules & Competition Proposals
Prepared by D Kerin, 29th October 2017
D. Kerin / CTTC and any other relevant body reserve the
Right to amend this document where necessary.
All drawings, pictures and plans herein contained are the express
copyright of Damian Kerin/CTTC.
Contents
General Outline...... 3
Document scope...... 4
Initial Entry...... 4
Interview...... 5
Knowledge Test...... 6
Driving Skills Test...... 7
(1)Poles 60points...... 9
(2)Forward Garage 60points...... 10
(3)Parallel Park 120points...... 11
(4)Wall 60points...... 12
(5)Reverse Garage 120points...... 13
(6)Rear Wheel Park 60points...... 14
(7)Front Wheel Park 60points...... 15
(8)Time 60points...... 16
General Rules for all Driving Skills Assessments...... 17
Irish Coach Driver of the Year 2018Page 2
General Outline
The Coach Driver of the Year (CDoY) 2018 competition will be run at the Campion Insurance Coach
Bus Show 2016 which is hosted by the Coach Tourism & Transport Council (CTTC) at the RDS Dublin on Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th November 2018.
The CDoY competition will be organised as a joint effort by CTTC and the Damian Kerin. The actual show event will be run on the show days with marshalling and stewarding provided by a team of independent and neutral volunteers.
In addition to the Martin Guilfoyle Perpetual Cup is sponsored by the Bernard Kavanagh & Sons group there will be additional prizes and the competition is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz.
The competition will have 3 aspects:
Interview
Knowledge Test Driving skills Test
The winner will be the driver who accumulates the most points over the 3 aspects. It is proposed the points will be divided as follows over the various aspects:
Interview Knowledge Test Driving Skills Test
200 Points
200 Points
600 Points
The absolute maximum score achievable will be 1000 points in total. Every finalist will receive a certificate and will receive their scores. A leader board will be maintained on site throughout the weekend. Competition will take place throughout the Saturday of the show and until 2pm on the Sunday. The winner will be announced and presented with their award at the show at approximately 3pm on the Sunday afternoon.
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Document scope
This document is a proposal of a scoring system and rules system for the Knowledge Test and Driving Skills aspects of the process. All aspects of this document should be viewed in that context.
Initial Entry
It is proposed and verbally agreed the entry should be by means of written application with this process being open to any coach/bus operator or driver. An entry fee will apply with a figure of €30 per entrant. Entry Fee may be paid by cheque or postal order made payable to “The Coach Tourism& Transport Council”.
There will be a maximum of 25 finalists assessed at the show. In the event that more than 25 valid applications are received then a draw will take place with 25 finalists being drawn from a hat. Finalists will indicate their preferred day of assessment on application form and Damian Kerin/CTTC will endeavour to facilitate this but cannot guarantee. There will be a limit of 3 drivers allowed to enter from any one company. Finalists will be notified of the time of their assessment in advance with a running order being publicly available in the run up to the show.
Any candidate who is not selected for assessment will have their entry fee refunded in full.
Additional Application Forms can be obtained by contacting CTTC @ 01 890 2635 / 085 858 8395.
All applications must be sent by post to the following address:
Coach Driver of the Year 2018
c/o The Coach Tourism & Transport Council of Ireland (CTTC)
Suite 4, First Floor,
St Fintan’s Terrace
North Street,
Swords,
Co Dublin
Applications must be received on or before close of business Friday the 2th of November 2018 – applications received after this date may not be considered.
Alternatively entries may be scanned and emailed to once received contact will be made to arrange payment of entry fee.
Failure of a candidate to present at the agreed time for the competition will result in exclusion from the competition and forfeiture of application fee.
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Interview
The interview will be a 3 person interview panel. Interviews will be short lasting approximately 10 minutes and panellists will look for the applicant to detail the professionalism they apply to their role as a bus or coach driver. Finalists will be expected to present themselves in a professional manner, i.e. wear whatever uniform they would when carrying out their duties or follow whatever dress code their company has in place. A total of 200points will be available for this aspect and how these are divided will be decided by agreement prior to the show.
It is proposed the interview panel will be made up of 3 individuals as follows:
Representative from Tourism Industry (Qualified Fáilte Ireland Guide) Representative of CTTC
Representative of an International Road Safety body
Final interview panel will be confirmed before show dates.
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Knowledge Test
The format would be as follows:
14 No Multiple Choice questions @ 10 points each 2 No Short questions @ 30 Points each
The multiple choice questions will be provided with 4 possible answers per question. A panel of 40 possible questions will be prepared by Damian Kerin in advance and every candidate will receive a random selection of 14 of said questions. The questions will be based on rules of the road, driver’s hours, tachograph, regulations etc
The Short questions will be more open and will require an answer of either 2 sentences or up to 5 bullet points. Questions will be largely based on driver technical checks. Again sample questions can be provided in advance but will include such things as:
List 5 items a driver would check as part of a daily walk-round check? How would a driver identify if a tachograph is calibrated? What is the minimum tyre tread depth on a coach and how would a driver check this? Etc
Each driver will complete a knowledge test and hand the completed sheet to the supervising marshal. That marshal will then mark up the sheet and the score will be recorded by the score-keeper
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Driving Skills Test
This test is to take place directly outside the entrance of RDS Simmonscourt. A cursory site visit gave an approximate dimension of the pavilion of 48m by 58m. The pavilion needs to be fenced off as agreed on site visit by RDS which will serve as protection of the test area from pedestrians. RDS to install at least one if not 2 cabins as shown to facilitate interviews and theory tests.
The below picture (Pic. 1) shows the proposed layout on plan (Right is reserved to modify or alter layout, but include all obstacles, as conditions and needs at the time dictate):
Pic. 1
The purpose of the event is to assess the driver’s skills by testing their judgement, handling and competence through a short series of obstacles. Each obstacle is designed to test a different aspect of the driving of a coach but all the while the obstacles are relevant to everyday situations a driver may encounter. Prior to undertaking the Driving Skills Test all finalists will be required to undertake a sobriety test, anyone who should fail this test will not be permitted to complete this aspect of the competition.
The event team will arrive on site on Friday 9th November and proceed to layout the course as per the design (Right is reserved to modify or alter layout, but include all obstacles, as conditions and needs at the time dictate). The CTTC has negotiated EvoBus (UK) Ltd to provide coaches for use in the event.
On Friday 9th November once the course has been laid out it is proposed that personnel from the event team will test the course with the proposed coaches. Any adjustments of the course will be made at that time to ensure all coaches are capable of negotiating the course safely. The right is reserved to adjust the course layout from that published in order to facilitate any practical issues which may arise and preserve the competitiveness of the event.
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There is a total of 600points available for the Driving skills event. It is proposed that these points will be divided as follows over 8 aspects to the test:
(1) / Poles / 60points(2) / Forward Garage / 60points
(3) / Parallel Park / 120points
(4) / Wall / 60points
(5) / Reverse Garage / 120points
(6) / Rear wheel park / 60points
(7) / Front wheel park / 60points
(8) / Time / 60points
Throughout the course there will be general obstacles. These will include road cones, poles, mannequins and stationary cyclists. In the event a competitor makes contact with any obstacle during the skills test they will be deducted points from their total as follows:
Strike a road cone, barrier or pole
Deduct 50points
Strike a Mannequin or Bicycle
Deduct 100points
Throughout the event stewards will supervise. If a steward sounds a claxon at any time the driver is to immediately stop and apply the parking brake to the vehicle until instructed to do different.
On each separate event there will be a marking scheme. A marshal or steward will judge each event as the competitor passes through. The individual rules and marking scheme for each event are as follows:
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(1)Poles60points
This event is a simple gauge of the driver’s judgement of the width of their vehicle. The driver will take the driving seat of the chosen coach at the set starting point. They will be instructed on basic controls by the accompanying steward. The aim of the task is to have the driver bring the coach between the 2 poles without touching the poles. The left hand pole will be fixed while the right hand pole will be initially 4m away – see Pic. 2 below.
Pic. 2
The driver will then guide a steward with hand signals to narrow the poles until the lowest distance that they would feel comfortable to drive the coach between them. The proposed points scoring will be as follows:
o Poles less than or equal to 3m apart / 60pointso Every 10cm (or part thereof) over 3m apart / Deduct 6points
o / Poles more than or equal to 4m apart / Fail – no points
o / Touch one or both poles / Fail – no points
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(2)Forward Garage60points
This event is a simple gauge of the driver’s judgement of the width and front of their vehicle. The aim of the event is to drive the coach into the garage (made up of a 3 sided square of barriers – See Pic. 3 below) and park with the front as far into the garage as possible without making contact with the back or sides of the garage. When the driver is satisfied with their position they must secure the vehicle’s parking brake. Once the vehicle is secure a steward will check the distance from the rear wall of the garage to the front of the coach with a measuring stick and record it on a marking sheet. Once satisfied they will raise a green flag which will allow the driver to continue – THE PARKING BRAKE MUST NOT BE RELEASED UNTIL GREEN FLAG IS RAISED.
Pic. 3
The proposed points scoring will be as follows:
o
Park within 150mm of rear of garage
60points
o
Every 100mm (or part thereof) over 150mm
Deduct 6points
o
Park over 1150mm from rear of garage
Fail – no points
o
Touch either side or back of garage
Fail – no points
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(3)Parallel Park120points
This event is a simple gauge of the driver’s proficiency at reversing and parallel parking. The aim of the event is for the driver to reverse the coach from the garage area in obstacle (2) and to park it inside the cones for obstacle (3) and parallel to a line representing a kerb (See Pic. 4 below). When the driver is satisfied with their position they must secure the vehicle’s parking brake. Once the vehicle is secure a steward will check the distance from the kerb line to the front and back tyre of the coach with a measuring stick and record these on a marking sheet. Once satisfied they will raise a green flag which will allow the driver to continue– THE PARKING BRAKE MUST NOT BE RELEASED UNTIL GREEN FLAG IS RAISED.
Pic. 4
The proposed points scoring will be as follows:
o
Park both wheels within 450mm of kerb
60points
o
Every 50mm (or part thereof) over 450mm
Deduct 6points
o
Both wheels same distance from kerb
60points
o
Every 50mm (or part thereof)difference
Deduct 15points
o
Park over 950mm from kerb (either wheel)
Fail – no points
o
Touch either cones or mount kerb
Fail – no points
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(4)Wall60points
This event is a simple gauge of the driver’s judgement of the width and front of their vehicle. The aim of the event is to drive the coach up to a barrier representing a wall (See Pic. 5 below) and park with the front as close to the wall as possible without making contact with the wall. When the driver is satisfied with their position they must secure the vehicle’s parking brake. Once the vehicle is secure a steward will check the distance from the wall to the front of the coach with a measuring stick and record it on a marking sheet. Once satisfied they will raise a green flag which will allow the driver to continue – THE PARKING BRAKE MUST NOT BE RELEASED UNTIL GREEN FLAG IS RAISED.
Pic. 5
The proposed points scoring will be as follows:
o
Park within 150mm of wall
60points
o
Every 100mm (or part thereof) over 150mm
Deduct 6points
o
Park over 1150mm from wall
Fail – no points
o
Touch any portion of wall
Fail – no points
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(5)Reverse Garage120points
This event is a simple gauge of the driver’s judgement of the width and rear of their vehicle. The aim of the event is to reverse the coach into the garage (made up of a 3 sided square of barriers – See Pic. 6 below) and park with the rear as far into the garage as possible without making contact with the back or sides of the garage. When the driver is satisfied with their position they must secure the vehicle’s parking brake. Once the vehicle is secure a steward will check the distance from the rear wall of the garage to the rear of the coach with a measuring stick and record it on a marking sheet. Once satisfied they will raise a green flag which will allow the driver to continue – THE PARKING BRAKE MUST NOT BE RELEASED UNTIL GREEN FLAG IS RAISED.
Pic. 6
The proposed points scoring will be as follows:
o
Park within 150mm to 300mm of rear of garage
120points
o
Park over 300mm of rear of garage
60points
o
Every 100mm (or part thereof) over 300mm
Deduct 6points
o
Park over 1300mm from rear of garage
Fail – no points
o
Touch either side or rear of garage
Fail – no points
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(6)Rear Wheel Park60points
This event is a simple gauge of the driver’s judgement of the position of the rear axle of their vehicle.
The aim of the event is to position the passenger side rear wheels within the yellow box in the ground (See Pic. 7 below). When the driver is satisfied with their position they must secure the vehicle’s parking brake. Once the vehicle is secure a steward will check the position of the wheels with regard to the yellow box and record it on a marking sheet. Once satisfied they will raise a green flag which will allow the driver to continue – THE PARKING BRAKE MUST NOT BE RELEASED UNTIL GREEN FLAG IS RAISED.
Pic. 7
The proposed points scoring will be as follows:
o
Both rear tyres in yellow box
60points
o
Inside or outside tyre outside box
Deduct 30points
o
Neither tyre in yellow box
Fail – no points
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(7)Front Wheel Park60points
This event is a simple gauge of the driver’s judgement of the position of the front axle of their
vehicle. The aim of the event is to position both front wheels on yellow line between the 2 finishing
posts (See Pic. 8 below). When the driver is satisfied with their position they must secure the
vehicle’s parking brake and raise both hands to indicate they are satisfied. Once the vehicle is secure
a steward will check the position of the wheels with regard to the yellow line and record it on a
marking sheet. Once satisfied they will raise a green flag which will signify the skills test is complete
– THE PARKING BRAKE MUST NOT BE RELEASED.
Pic. 8
The proposed points scoring will be as follows:
o
Both front tyres on yellow line
60points
o
Tyre(s) each 100mm (or part thereof) away from line
Deduct 15points
o
Tyre(s) over 400mm from line
Fail – no points
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(8)Time60points
This event aspect is designed to maintain pressure and even out competition between finalists. All finalists will be timed for their drive. Time will be kept by the senior marshal on duty who will carry a stop watch to record time taken. The clock will start when the parking brake is released for obstacle (1) Poles. The clock will stop and the time be recorded when the driver applies the parking brake and raises their hands for obstacle (7) Front Wheel Parking.