Disruptions and driver shortages
Disruptions and driver shortages
(18 Dec 2021, 6:45 pm)54APhotography To be fair right now I wouldn't bother using a bus at all. Stagecoach and Go are dropping that many services, and I know it is not of their own intention, but after this last few days, no.Go North East the past few days have been cancelled so so so many services
Honestly we as drivers are doing more hours now than ever before, but we are getting increased abuse in return, this new variant is not helping the situation adding to the decision of drivers to leave for pastures new. We have 4 drivers in the school for Consett which should feed through in January but there is equal number heading for the exit (me included). Its regrettable that we are having to drop runs.
(18 Dec 2021, 6:51 pm)Train8261 Go North East the past few days have been cancelled so so so many servicesWhat people just don't get, is that since the considerable frequency reductions a missing service has a massive effect. E bus routes went to half hourly which means drop one and then every route suffers one bus an hour alternately all day. And because of this large numbers end up waiting and overcrowd single deckers. Which makes the already miserable journey even worse. The upshot is and judging by the massive increase in car journeys, not just because it is running up to Xmas, then this shorting is turning a lot more away from public transport. Prime examples this week, one E1 missing, then means the next hour E2 has only one and the next an E6 only one. A 39 is cancelled from Doxford Park, meaning the next one is standing room only on a Solo. At 4pm today there was a 2 and 2A heading to Silksworth but absolutely nothing coming the other way, in fact at that time the last westbound 2 was half way up Chester Road. Yesterday Stagecoach dropped a decker off a 16 at 10:30 meaning Fawcett Street was queued past Wilkinsons for a gas on the 1131 16 which was late and made worse by the chaos caused by St. Mary's having a lane out. Not one positive word have I heard in a week for any of the bus operators. This mountain is getting higher..
(18 Dec 2021, 6:51 pm)Train8261 Go North East the past few days have been cancelled so so so many servicesWhat people just don't get, is that since the considerable frequency reductions a missing service has a massive effect. E bus routes went to half hourly which means drop one and then every route suffers one bus an hour alternately all day. And because of this large numbers end up waiting and overcrowd single deckers. Which makes the already miserable journey even worse. The upshot is and judging by the massive increase in car journeys, not just because it is running up to Xmas, then this shorting is turning a lot more away from public transport. Prime examples this week, one E1 missing, then means the next hour E2 has only one and the next an E6 only one. A 39 is cancelled from Doxford Park, meaning the next one is standing room only on a Solo. At 4pm today there was a 2 and 2A heading to Silksworth but absolutely nothing coming the other way, in fact at that time the last westbound 2 was half way up Chester Road. Yesterday Stagecoach dropped a decker off a 16 at 10:30 meaning Fawcett Street was queued past Wilkinsons for a gas on the 1131 16 which was late and made worse by the chaos caused by St. Mary's having a lane out. Not one positive word have I heard in a week for any of the bus operators. This mountain is getting higher..
(18 Dec 2021, 7:03 pm)54APhotography What people just don't get, is that since the considerable frequency reductions a missing service has a massive effect. E bus routes went to half hourly which means drop one and then every route suffers one bus an hour alternately all day. And because of this large numbers end up waiting and overcrowd single deckers. Which makes the already miserable journey even worse. The upshot is and judging by the massive increase in car journeys, not just because it is running up to Xmas, then this shorting is turning a lot more away from public transport. Prime examples this week, one E1 missing, then means the next hour E2 has only one and the next an E6 only one. A 39 is cancelled from Doxford Park, meaning the next one is standing room only on a Solo. At 4pm today there was a 2 and 2A heading to Silksworth but absolutely nothing coming the other way, in fact at that time the last westbound 2 was half way up Chester Road. Yesterday Stagecoach dropped a decker off a 16 at 10:30 meaning Fawcett Street was queued past Wilkinsons for a gas on the 1131 16 which was late and made worse by the chaos caused by St. Mary's having a lane out. Not one positive word have I heard in a week for any of the bus operators. This mountain is getting higher..The 20 is the same.
(18 Dec 2021, 7:03 pm)54APhotography What people just don't get, is that since the considerable frequency reductions a missing service has a massive effect. E bus routes went to half hourly which means drop one and then every route suffers one bus an hour alternately all day. And because of this large numbers end up waiting and overcrowd single deckers. Which makes the already miserable journey even worse. The upshot is and judging by the massive increase in car journeys, not just because it is running up to Xmas, then this shorting is turning a lot more away from public transport. Prime examples this week, one E1 missing, then means the next hour E2 has only one and the next an E6 only one. A 39 is cancelled from Doxford Park, meaning the next one is standing room only on a Solo. At 4pm today there was a 2 and 2A heading to Silksworth but absolutely nothing coming the other way, in fact at that time the last westbound 2 was half way up Chester Road. Yesterday Stagecoach dropped a decker off a 16 at 10:30 meaning Fawcett Street was queued past Wilkinsons for a gas on the 1131 16 which was late and made worse by the chaos caused by St. Mary's having a lane out. Not one positive word have I heard in a week for any of the bus operators. This mountain is getting higher..The 20 is the same.
11.10pm and still no cancellation list posted for tomorrow. One hopes the early service runs for retail workers…
(19 Dec 2021, 10:25 am)Train8261 Hopefully there won't be but can't put any luck onMight be worth just throwing the 56' plate OmniDekka's on them, Yes they won't have the spec but more capacity.
(19 Dec 2021, 10:25 am)Train8261 Hopefully there won't be but can't put any luck onMight be worth just throwing the 56' plate OmniDekka's on them, Yes they won't have the spec but more capacity.
(19 Dec 2021, 11:34 am)Keeiajs Might be worth just throwing the 56' plate OmniDekka's on them, Yes they won't have the spec but more capacity.Same here. I have a feeling gne are gonna be flooding with complaints if some last service buses get cancelled om Christmas Eve/Boxing day & New Year's Eve
Personally I am worried about how popular the services will be, like final buses to Dalton Park/Peterlee/Easington lane/ Durham what if they are full to capacity at the last service of the day. I can see some real issues and with no Customer Services in that day it just seems like it will be a trainwreck, especially with cancellations. On 21 or X1 cancellation......oh god.
(19 Dec 2021, 11:34 am)Keeiajs Might be worth just throwing the 56' plate OmniDekka's on them, Yes they won't have the spec but more capacity.Same here. I have a feeling gne are gonna be flooding with complaints if some last service buses get cancelled om Christmas Eve/Boxing day & New Year's Eve
Personally I am worried about how popular the services will be, like final buses to Dalton Park/Peterlee/Easington lane/ Durham what if they are full to capacity at the last service of the day. I can see some real issues and with no Customer Services in that day it just seems like it will be a trainwreck, especially with cancellations. On 21 or X1 cancellation......oh god.
(19 Dec 2021, 11:55 am)Train8261 Same here. I have a feeling gne are gonna be flooding with complaints if some last service buses get cancelled om Christmas Eve/Boxing day & New Year's EveNot just the last buses, it the one before or if 2 before are cancelled just going to be the backlog. Also capacity on single deckers, I have seen no mention of 61/X66 being double deckers (they should be) aswell routes whcih can't be a double decker (60) they can get really busy. I remember 2019 the 60 was utterly rammed at Dalton park, so was the 61. When I was waiting for the 56.
(19 Dec 2021, 11:55 am)Train8261 Same here. I have a feeling gne are gonna be flooding with complaints if some last service buses get cancelled om Christmas Eve/Boxing day & New Year's EveNot just the last buses, it the one before or if 2 before are cancelled just going to be the backlog. Also capacity on single deckers, I have seen no mention of 61/X66 being double deckers (they should be) aswell routes whcih can't be a double decker (60) they can get really busy. I remember 2019 the 60 was utterly rammed at Dalton park, so was the 61. When I was waiting for the 56.
Ultimately, no matter what we have all written here, this is not the fault of the bus companies, the situation with HGV pay rates is still taking those drivers who can away. The rate of new recruits is incapable of matching the usual loss plus this, and the DVLA have royally screwed up licences for the best part of three years now.
But those companies who can should as written here dedicate themselves to ensuring deckers are available to be switched in when mass cancellations take place and the impending crush on Christmas Eve. GNE obviously have a better ability to do this, but there are countless heavily stacked operators who have a good stock that could come out after 12 noon to make this Christmas Eve not go as many of us suspect...
(19 Dec 2021, 11:34 am)Keeiajs Might be worth just throwing the 56' plate OmniDekka's on them, Yes they won't have the spec but more capacity.
Personally I am worried about how popular the services will be, like final buses to Dalton Park/Peterlee/Easington lane/ Durham what if they are full to capacity at the last service of the day. I can see some real issues and with no Customer Services in that day it just seems like it will be a trainwreck, especially with cancellations. On 21 or X1 cancellation......oh god.
(19 Dec 2021, 12:32 pm)54APhotography Ultimately, no matter what we have all written here, this is not the fault of the bus companies, the situation with HGV pay rates is still taking those drivers who can away. The rate of new recruits is incapable of matching the usual loss plus this, and the DVLA have royally screwed up licences for the best part of three years now.
But those companies who can should as written here dedicate themselves to ensuring deckers are available to be switched in when mass cancellations take place and the impending crush on Christmas Eve. GNE obviously have a better ability to do this, but there are countless heavily stacked operators who have a good stock that could come out after 12 noon to make this Christmas Eve not go as many of us suspect...
(19 Dec 2021, 11:34 am)Keeiajs Might be worth just throwing the 56' plate OmniDekka's on them, Yes they won't have the spec but more capacity.
Personally I am worried about how popular the services will be, like final buses to Dalton Park/Peterlee/Easington lane/ Durham what if they are full to capacity at the last service of the day. I can see some real issues and with no Customer Services in that day it just seems like it will be a trainwreck, especially with cancellations. On 21 or X1 cancellation......oh god.
(19 Dec 2021, 12:32 pm)54APhotography Ultimately, no matter what we have all written here, this is not the fault of the bus companies, the situation with HGV pay rates is still taking those drivers who can away. The rate of new recruits is incapable of matching the usual loss plus this, and the DVLA have royally screwed up licences for the best part of three years now.
But those companies who can should as written here dedicate themselves to ensuring deckers are available to be switched in when mass cancellations take place and the impending crush on Christmas Eve. GNE obviously have a better ability to do this, but there are countless heavily stacked operators who have a good stock that could come out after 12 noon to make this Christmas Eve not go as many of us suspect...
(19 Dec 2021, 3:21 pm)Andreos1 It will be interesting to see how they manage that situation and whether cust svc is going to be a priority in that period of the day.I don't think the magnitude of driver shortages can be levied at the operators, yes there have been disputes over pay and the format of pay rises, and many wonder what direction their employers are heading in. The average turnover of the big 3 is considerable year by year, with retirements a big factor. But the major factor is the poaching of staff, and that has hit every single operator, big or small.
Front line staff missing + crowded or delayed buses = potential carnage.
A customer service offer would help mitigate some of the issues.
Hmm, not sure I agree with that mind.
In addition to any external influences, there's internal factors at play and operators need to take some responsibity for the shortage of staff and high attrition rate.
(19 Dec 2021, 3:21 pm)Andreos1 It will be interesting to see how they manage that situation and whether cust svc is going to be a priority in that period of the day.I don't think the magnitude of driver shortages can be levied at the operators, yes there have been disputes over pay and the format of pay rises, and many wonder what direction their employers are heading in. The average turnover of the big 3 is considerable year by year, with retirements a big factor. But the major factor is the poaching of staff, and that has hit every single operator, big or small.
Front line staff missing + crowded or delayed buses = potential carnage.
A customer service offer would help mitigate some of the issues.
Hmm, not sure I agree with that mind.
In addition to any external influences, there's internal factors at play and operators need to take some responsibity for the shortage of staff and high attrition rate.
(19 Dec 2021, 3:21 pm)Andreos1 It will be interesting to see how they manage that situation and whether cust svc is going to be a priority in that period of the day.I can imagine staff at Newcastle, Gateshead, metro, Durham, Washington but that is about it, and for Newcaslte that will be a bigger pain as a lot of services don't go into Eldon Square.
Front line staff missing + crowded or delayed buses = potential carnage.
A customer service offer would play a part in helping mitigate some of the issues.
(19 Dec 2021, 3:21 pm)Andreos1 It will be interesting to see how they manage that situation and whether cust svc is going to be a priority in that period of the day.I can imagine staff at Newcastle, Gateshead, metro, Durham, Washington but that is about it, and for Newcaslte that will be a bigger pain as a lot of services don't go into Eldon Square.
Front line staff missing + crowded or delayed buses = potential carnage.
A customer service offer would play a part in helping mitigate some of the issues.
(19 Dec 2021, 3:57 pm)Keeiajs I can imagine staff at Newcastle, Gateshead, metro, Durham, Washington but that is about it, and for Newcaslte that will be a bigger pain as a lot of services don't go into Eldon Square.
+ No GNE Customer Service, Probs cancellation + crowed/rammed buses + Frequency + early finsih/late start is a recipe for utter chaos, confusion and pain. And if passengers get left behind on the last buses of the day.......
(19 Dec 2021, 3:57 pm)Keeiajs I can imagine staff at Newcastle, Gateshead, metro, Durham, Washington but that is about it, and for Newcaslte that will be a bigger pain as a lot of services don't go into Eldon Square.
+ No GNE Customer Service, Probs cancellation + crowed/rammed buses + Frequency + early finsih/late start is a recipe for utter chaos, confusion and pain. And if passengers get left behind on the last buses of the day.......
(19 Dec 2021, 4:08 pm)Dan I’d be very surprised if there were any cancellations on Boxing Day.That is a fair point, and I hope it is true.
If the company thought there wouldn’t be enough staff to volunteer for Boxing Day, they wouldn’t have agreed to take on extra contracted work for Northumberland County Council and Nexus.
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(19 Dec 2021, 4:08 pm)Dan I’d be very surprised if there were any cancellations on Boxing Day.That is a fair point, and I hope it is true.
If the company thought there wouldn’t be enough staff to volunteer for Boxing Day, they wouldn’t have agreed to take on extra contracted work for Northumberland County Council and Nexus.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
