Bus driver caught reading book on busy Birmingham route

Apr 22 2010 by Edward Chadwick, Birmingham Mail

A BUS driver is facing the sack after he was caught on camera reading a book at the wheel of a double decker.

The National Express employee was so absorbed in the book that he used his elbows to steer the number 61 along the busy streets of Birmingham – to keep his hands free for turning the pages.

He has been suspended after he was filmed by a horrified passenger who boarded the Rubery-bound service close to the junction of Oak Tree Lane.

The footage has been posted on YouTube showing the bus travelling from the city centre, through Selly Oak along the Bristol Road – one of the city’s busiest routes.

The driver is now likely to be sacked, said the firm, and police are set to question him.

The commuter who filmed the clip said the driver only took his eyes off the pages briefly to deal with fares.

He said: “The guy was in a world of his own, totally absorbed in the book.”

A spokesman for National Express West Midlands said: “Immediate action was taken to suspend the driver who will now face disciplinary action.”