tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post3243022087506229185..comments2024-03-25T22:17:35.616+00:00Comments on Public Transport Experience: Sunday Varietyfatbusblokehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06833340546527596517noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-32669491702916069762021-10-25T13:50:33.715+01:002021-10-25T13:50:33.715+01:00Seen on a Hulleys bus last week- 'The whole wo...Seen on a Hulleys bus last week- 'The whole world is short of staff. Please be kind to those who turn up.' Well said!Dennis Dratnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-36730229220302073082021-10-25T07:40:31.905+01:002021-10-25T07:40:31.905+01:00Well said @greenline727. Add in to the mix that in...Well said @greenline727. Add in to the mix that in addition to permanent staff departures many companies are also dealing with high levels of staff sickness. It really is a perfect storm of challenges. Remember also, that it's tough and stressful for those drivers still working - be kind to them, it's not their fault services are missing. All round it's better to reduce frequencies than skip random journeys. Of course the other alternative is to take the Transdev approach of pretending the problem doesn't exist, not inform passengers of missing journeys, whilst pumping out PR tweets about how "amazing" your buses are ...Bennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-78078378287754986842021-10-25T06:55:04.645+01:002021-10-25T06:55:04.645+01:00Go on, then . . . what would YOU do, Anon @ 2239??...Go on, then . . . what would YOU do, Anon @ 2239??<br />You can see from above the actual statistics in re driver numbers . . . these are by no means unusual across the industry.<br />Your passenger numbers are not rising fast enough . . . Government have decided to cut the Covid subsidy from 1 September, but won't yet tell you what your next monies will be.<br />You have a bunch of drivers leaving to go drive HGV's for big bucks.<br />You have older drivers deciding that they've had enough and will either retire or go part-time (and in many companies thay're refused part-time so quit anyway).<br />You have no money available to increase pay rates (which in any case were only as much as the business could afford anyway).<br />You have new recruits interested in becoming drivers, but DVLA at Swansea are unable to process even provisional licences (which are required to start to learn to drive a bus) in a decent timescale.<br />Once you have trained the new drivers, you have to wait for a test slot, and 30% of those new recruits will either not reach testable standard or will fail the test, despite considerable training time given.<br /><br />Frankly . . . reducing services is the last thing that a bus operator wants to do, but what is better . . . unadvertised gaps in an hourly service, or trimming back a higher-frequency route that doesn't carry that many passengers now anyway??<br /><br />Go on, then . . . tell us all how YOU would fix the industry?? Maybe you have the golden answer . . . but somehow I doubt it . . . greenline727https://www.blogger.com/profile/03033268278026535109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-71099703226585505902021-10-24T22:39:39.281+01:002021-10-24T22:39:39.281+01:00So if I was a manager and I saw a driver a day was...So if I was a manager and I saw a driver a day was leaving over the course of a month I’d be doing something about it by midway through the second month, rather than just let it carry on and on so as they are 90 odd short after 3 months! <br /><br />There may be a driver shortage that everyone could see coming apart from the managers at some big bus groups, but I think FBB is merely pointing out that it’s a mighty big coincidence that the covid handouts from Govt that they have gotten so used to - to pay to run emptier buses for the last year or so - are now stopping, and they now need to make a bit of a contribution towards the recovery themselves henceforth, like MANY other businesses affected by covid, but the big groups are reluctant to do so, and can’t even be honest about it, and THAT is what is also driving these service cuts, in reality…Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-88049292639519406252021-10-24T14:29:27.759+01:002021-10-24T14:29:27.759+01:00At the beginning of September First SY were short ...At the beginning of September First SY were short of 66 drivers: they need 870. 92 had left in 3 months. Anecdotally Stagecoach Yorkshire are in an even worse position. The staff shortage is not invented.Dennis Dratnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-48337998803056072732021-10-24T09:51:44.128+01:002021-10-24T09:51:44.128+01:00Much as most operators would like to pay their dri...Much as most operators would like to pay their drivers more, revenue is still typically around 15% below normal. No-one is sure whether the new Bus Recovery Grant will cover all of this - unlike its predecessor CBSSG, there is a complicated formula which means only an unknown proportion will be received. Fewer drivers and fewer services are likely here for some time. Better all timetabled journeys run, rather than random cancellations depending on which shifts get covered on any one day.Shieldsmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00197794322283545552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7432323264902617108.post-85976803851451920632021-10-24T06:30:07.655+01:002021-10-24T06:30:07.655+01:00Sorry but you are talking garbage. I am aware of a...Sorry but you are talking garbage. I am aware of a depot belonging to a big group which lost FORTY FIVE PERCENT of its daily mileage on one day in the last couple of weeks, mainly due to sickness and the resulting staff shortages meaning work couldn't be covered. I am also aware of another which has TWENTY FIVE vacant lines on rotas totalling 115 lines. <br /><br />So it's unsurprising that service alterations are being made. No conspiracy at all!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com