A Dundee bus driver knocked down an elderly pedestrian and sent her hearing aid flying out of her ear.
Stephen Reid admitted driving carelessly and hitting and injuring 81-year-old Alma Smith as she tried to cross the road.
Fiscal depute Calum Gordon told Dundee’s JP Court: “She lost her left hearing aid and had to replace it at a cost of £1,400.”
Reid, 58, from Dundee, admitted driving carelessly in the city’s Lochee High Street and striking and injuring Miss Smith on January 7, 2020.
‘Saw the pedestrian late’
Solicitor Mark Robins, defending, said: “He has been a bus driver for the same company for 34 years.
“He has driven buses without incident for the entire duration of his career.
“He accepts he collided with Miss Smith.
“He was doing a route well known to him.
“It is a very busy part of Lochee with parked cars and pedestrians.
“There was a lorry parked, taking down the Christmas tree, which caused some difficulty with his view.
“It is a very tight junction. It was congested.
“With the bus being quite large he had to take quite a wide turn, so it almost looked like he was going across the junction to turn to the left.
“He saw the pedestrian late.
“He had his brakes on and was not doing any real speed when he collided with Miss Smith. His indicators were on.
“Although she was injured she got up to get on with her shopping.
“There were some injuries, though nothing particularly life threatening.
“She has made a full recovery.”
Driver’s job at risk
Mr Robins pointed out his client tends to be especially careful in the area.
“Quite often in this area there are people stumbling about because there are dispensers of methadone and people wandering about the roads in all directions and that is something he has to be aware of when driving that particular route.
“He works for Xplore Dundee and they have a policy that drivers can have no more than five points.
“He would lose his job if he got six points.”
Justice of the Peace John Reid said: “You have a 34 year record of driving buses without incident so I am taking that into account.”
He imposed five penalty points and fined Reid £500.
