North East Buses

Full Version: Disruptions and driver shortages
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(06 Jan 2024, 10:36 am)Michael Wrote: [ -> ]Looks like half of the Deptford drivers are going to the derby, looking at the cancelations today:

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/short-noti...cellations

They'd still have the same holiday blocks, regardless of which football game is on?

That being said, I agree, the cancellations seem heavily Deptford focused. I wonder how many drivers have been re-allocated to the match day transport? There's a convoy of 10 heading down the A1 now.
(06 Jan 2024, 11:23 am)Adrian Wrote: [ -> ]They'd still have the same holiday blocks, regardless of which football game is on?

That being said, I agree, the cancellations seem heavily Deptford focused. I wonder how many drivers have been re-allocated to the match day transport? There's a convoy of 10 heading down the A1 now.


None from Deptford.

Non-driving staff and other depots (mainly Consett) only.


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(06 Jan 2024, 11:23 am)Adrian Wrote: [ -> ]They'd still have the same holiday blocks, regardless of which football game is on?

That being said, I agree, the cancellations seem heavily Deptford focused. I wonder how many drivers have been re-allocated to the match day transport? There's a convoy of 10 heading down the A1 now.

Holiday blocks or a sudden wave of 48 hour sickness racing through the depot?
(06 Jan 2024, 11:58 am)Andreos1 Wrote: [ -> ]Holiday blocks or a sudden wave of 48 hour sickness racing through the depot?

Must've been some dodgy sandwiches in the vending machine.
Surely some more high frequency services should be cancelled instead of leaving over an hour in service on others?
(06 Jan 2024, 11:58 am)Andreos1 Wrote: [ -> ]Holiday blocks or a sudden wave of 48 hour sickness racing through the depot?

Or just understandable reluctance to cover overtime which is probably what enables full-ish operations normally?

At least they didn't just switch to a Sunday service like they did a couple of years ago when the whole city was supposedly not needing to travel as a football match was happening in London.
(06 Jan 2024, 4:06 pm)stagecoachbusdepot Wrote: [ -> ]Or just understandable reluctance to cover overtime which is probably what enables full-ish operations normally?

At least they didn't just switch to a Sunday service like they did a couple of years ago when the whole city was supposedly not needing to travel as a football match was happening in London.
Forgot about that corker... Sunday service so that folk could watch the match

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Might as well of been a Sunday service at times.
only 10 out of the 14/15 X1 are tracking
(08 Jan 2024, 12:03 pm)Unber43 Wrote: [ -> ]only 10 out of the 14/15 X1 are tracking


3G has become end of life and many machines aren’t tracking at the moment for this reason (as they have 3G SIM cards). They are being changed for new SIM cards over the next week or two.

This is a national problem and further evidence of why bustimes can’t be used as the holy grail.


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(08 Jan 2024, 12:29 pm)Dan Wrote: [ -> ]3G has become end of life and many machines aren’t tracking at the moment for this reason (as they have 3G SIM cards). They are being changed for new SIM cards over the next week or two.

This is a national problem and further evidence of why bustimes can’t be used as the holy grail.


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3G only sim cards, haven't heard of them for a while!
It must have been about 10 years ago now I remember having to get in touch with Vodafone to swap over my sim card to enable the blazing fast 4G (that was slower than Three's 3G network at the time)
(08 Jan 2024, 12:29 pm)Dan Wrote: [ -> ]3G has become end of life and many machines aren’t tracking at the moment for this reason (as they have 3G SIM cards). They are being changed for new SIM cards over the next week or two.

This is a national problem and further evidence of why bustimes can’t be used as the holy grail.


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Surely it's incompetance rather than a 'problem'. It's not as if, it's been kept a secret, that the 3G turn off was happening at the start of this year, and it's not as if 4G/5G sim cards have just come out in past month either.
(08 Jan 2024, 7:26 pm)Storx Wrote: [ -> ]Surely it's incompetance rather than a 'problem'. It's not as if, it's been kept a secret, that the 3G turn off was happening at the start of this year, and it's not as if 4G/5G sim cards have just come out in past month either.

Indeed. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms...switch-off 

I'd have hoped the company providing the sims were organised and had sent out the replacements, ready to go ahead of the switch.
If they hadn't, I'm sure I'd have been on the phone (obviously well ahead of my 3g sim being deactivated - couldn't have called otherwise), to ensure the new ones were on the way.
Diversion affecting services on Fawcett St, Sunderland
Today 19:30

Affected stops:
Sunderland Fawcett Street 'Stop 18', N-bound

Sunderland Fawcett Street 'Stop 15', N-bound

Sunderland Fawcett Street 'Stop 22', N-bound

Sunderland Fawcett Street 'Stop 16', N-bound

Sunderland Fawcett Street 'Stop 19', N-bound
Due to a building fire on Fawcett St, services which normally operate Fawcett St are currently on diversion.

Please catch your bus from Borough Road (Winter Gardens).
SC services are using the stops outside Wilkinson's
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6p129yej9yo

how many do we think they'll actually get??
(23 Jan 2024, 3:20 pm)Rob44 Wrote: [ -> ]https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6p129yej9yo

how many do we think they'll actually get??
How many they keep is the more pertinent question.
(23 Jan 2024, 7:44 pm)DeltaMan Wrote: [ -> ]How many they keep is the more pertinent question.

I'd love to know what the attrition rate is. 

Recruitment and training costs will be massive. 
When they're looking at making savings, this is a huge opportunity to get back to the drawing board. 

Invest in things which keep the drivers happy/reluctant to hand in their notice and the cost savings could be huge.

As an example. It may cost money to set up perks, comms and basic people management courses. In addition to paying off the incompetent managers. But the returns could be huge when you look at those costs vs the actual outgoings recruitment and training see.
(24 Jan 2024, 10:51 am)Andreos1 Wrote: [ -> ]I'd love to know what the attrition rate is. 

Recruitment and training costs will be massive. 
When they're looking at making savings, this is a huge opportunity to get back to the drawing board. 

Invest in things which keep the drivers happy/reluctant to hand in their notice and the cost savings could be huge.

As an example. It may cost money to set up perks, comms and basic people management courses. In addition to paying off the incompetent managers. But the returns could be huge when you look at those costs vs the actual outgoings recruitment and training see.

Not long after posting this reply, I checked out LinkedIn. 

The timing couldn't be much better.
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I've noticed on the GNE website, GNE has full-time and part-time options for drivers, does anyone know how many hours the part-time job is?