(20 Oct 2017, 4:01 pm)2bagstew wrote Arriva are short of Drivers at Both Durham & Darlington. They a doing a recruiting drive.
But it takes a while to do the driver training.



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Especially when they 'lose' applications.

(21 Oct 2017, 1:14 pm)Cock Robin wrote Especially when they 'lose' applications.

I heard that too. Not good


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(20 Oct 2017, 4:01 pm)2bagstew wrote Arriva are short of Drivers at Both Durham & Darlington. They a doing a recruiting drive.
But it takes a while to do the driver training.



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Hmmmm......... wonder what the rate of pay is for experienced PCV Drivers?

(22 Oct 2017, 5:24 pm)RM2186 wrote Hmmmm......... wonder what the rate of pay is for experienced PCV Drivers?

The starting rate is £8.25/hr. No wonder they struggle to recruit and keep drivers.

(23 Oct 2017, 12:01 pm)Driver9*** wrote The starting rate is £8.25/hr. No wonder they struggle to recruit and keep drivers.

In reality it’s seems like a pay cut.


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Compare to train drivers, who don't have to steer or take fares! Madness!

(23 Oct 2017, 12:01 pm)Driver9*** wrote The starting rate is £8.25/hr. No wonder they struggle to recruit and keep drivers.

That's ridiculously low. My wage as a 19 year old in a fast food restaurant, between midnight and 6:00, is £7.50. Even during "regular hours" its £6.50. As soon as I turn 21, I believe my premium hour pay will be more than £8.25.

(23 Oct 2017, 12:01 pm)Driver9*** wrote The starting rate is £8.25/hr. No wonder they struggle to recruit and keep drivers.

Is that the NMW?


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(23 Oct 2017, 4:50 pm)cbma06 wrote Is that the NMW?


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Not far off
https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

(23 Oct 2017, 12:01 pm)Driver9*** wrote The starting rate is £8.25/hr. No wonder they struggle to recruit and keep drivers.

That's pretty poor. How long to get off that baseline, I wonder?

(23 Oct 2017, 12:01 pm)Driver9*** wrote The starting rate is £8.25/hr. No wonder they struggle to recruit and keep drivers.

Blimey, there are independents that pay more in the same area! 

(23 Oct 2017, 9:16 pm)BusLoverMum wrote That's pretty poor. How long to get off that baseline, I wonder?

I won't go into details but will say that thanks to the corrupt Unite union officials, Arriva were able to bring in a revised pay structure for all new starters from June 1st that totally shafted them if they drive a big bus, basically a 20% pay cut.

And we wonder why sometimes the customer service is so bad from drivers...they’d be paid more behind a counter in Greggs

(24 Oct 2017, 3:21 pm)Cock Robin wrote 1573 is now officially 'Under Repair'. 1570 was also in bits at the start of the month.

30th October Allocation Amendments

Blyth
In - 2810 (swap for 1791)
Out - 1791 to Durham (Durham County Council contracts)

Durham
In - 1791 (swap for 2810), 7425 and 7426
Out - 2810 to Blyth (swap for 1791), 1476 and 1477 (to Stockton)

Stockton
In - 1476 and 1477 (ex-Durham, ops spare for Christmas punctuality)

Redcar
Out - 7425 and 7426 to Durham (PVR reduction), 7489 to Reserve Fleet (to be converted to Driver Trainer, following PVR reduction), 2828 to Reserve Fleet (following PVR reduction, vinyls to be removed) and 1573 for repair (long term VOR).

Vehicles Sold
7440 and 7442 - to Alpha Recovery.

(24 Oct 2017, 3:31 pm)Dan wrote 30th October Allocation Amendments

Blyth
In - 2810 (swap for 1791)
Out - 1791 to Durham (Durham County Council contracts)

Durham
In - 1791 (swap for 2810), 7425 and 7426
Out - 2810 to Blyth (swap for 1791), 1476 and 1477 (to Stockton)

Stockton
In - 1476 and 1477 (ex-Durham, ops spare for Christmas punctuality)

Redcar
Out - 7425 and 7426 to Durham (PVR reduction), 7489 to Reserve Fleet (to be converted to Driver Trainer, following PVR reduction), 2828 to Reserve Fleet (following PVR reduction, vinyls to be removed) and 1573 for repair (long term VOR).

Vehicles Sold
7440 and 7442 - to Alpha Recovery.



Nothing mentioned about 1759 and 1766?

Redcar/Whitby have lost 5 workings and 5 buses so presumably 1759/66 will come off when 1573 and 2828 are back on the road, although something else will probably be off the road by then!

Wonder if 'vinyls to be removed' rather than 'repaint' suggests its going to be running round in plain silver?!

There's 2 24's in peterlee to Hartlepool , pulsar ahead of the E400.


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(26 Oct 2017, 1:17 pm)cbma06 wrote There's 2 24's in peterlee to Hartlepool , pulsar ahead of the E400.


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Just left Peterlee on the 22 after the one we expected. That ran half an hour late Sunderland bound and must have been taken off. We knew not to expect it at 3:15, but some people had already been waiting half an hour when we arrived.
So we're on a full 1595 and my eyes are watering because someone is wearing overpowering perfume.

Noticed a 24 coming from Durham 41 minutes late when I checked the app.

1515 has had its 3-pin power sockets removed, and USB charging points installed in their place.

The first bus in the plain new livery 2834 is out on the 55 today I believe.
1923 has been painted at Thorntons and should return to Stockton soon

2834 was out on 55s - been replaced now so could be anywhere.

(28 Oct 2017, 10:25 am)tyresmoke wrote The first bus in the plain new livery 2834 is out on the 55 today I believe.
1923 has been painted at Thorntons and should return to Stockton soon

2827 is also at Thorntons too. Not expected to return to Whitby however. Likely to transfer to Jesmond as soon as its competed (in lieu of 2828).

(28 Oct 2017, 10:25 am)omnicity4659 wrote 1515 has had its 3-pin power sockets removed, and USB charging points installed in their place.

I'd use the term 'charging points' loosely. I find they're usually beyond useless, across the board.

I'd still rather have USB ports that charge your phone about 3% in a 45 minute journey than plugs where most of which haven't worked since they were a few months old. Pleased that something looks to be FINALLY getting done for us passengers on the 7 as it's got to be about a year since I've last been able to charge my phone on a Sapphire 7 branded bus and its not just me who were fed up with this, there is regularly complaints from people (including myself) on their Facebook page about this issue.

I would still rather have plugs but they have proven to be too unreliable at Arriva at least.

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(29 Oct 2017, 12:16 pm)Jimmi wrote I would still rather have plugs but they have proven to be too unreliable at Arriva at least.

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I think something was mentioned a while back about the reliability of the plug sockets, and the reasons that USB chargers were more reliable. IIRC, the plug sockets would all break if just one fused, whereas with the USB sockets, they're all independent.

1415, 1515, 7626 and 7801 have received poppies for the Royal British Legion's 2017 Poppy Appeal, here is 1515 with it's poppies (there's another on the back).
Arriva North East: 1515 / NL63VRK by Matthew Jimmison, on Flickr

Don't expect to find 7626 on the X12 however, as it's on loan to Ashington depot this week with Belmont receiving 7532 in exchange.

(29 Oct 2017, 6:40 pm)Jimmi wrote 1415, 1515, 7626 and 7801 have received poppies for the Royal British Legion's 2017 Poppy Appeal, here is 1515 with it's poppies (there's another on the back).
Arriva North East: 1515 / NL63VRK by Matthew Jimmison, on Flickr

Don't expect to find 7626 on the X12 however, as it's on loan to Ashington depot this week with Belmont receiving 7532 in exchange.

7424 was due to have poppies added to it today for Redcar

(29 Oct 2017, 6:40 pm)Jimmi wrote Don't expect to find 7626 on the X12 however, as it's on loan to Ashington depot this week with Belmont receiving 7532 in exchange.

Any reasoning behind this?

E400s trialled on X12 and Geminis trialled on X18.

Can only go well....

(29 Oct 2017, 8:15 pm)omnicity4659 wrote E400s trialled on X12 and Geminis trialled on X18.

Can only go well....

But surely logic dictates that, if the Gemini can't perform well on the X12, it doesn't stand a chance on the X18? Don't they already know how an E400 will perform on the X12, enough of them have been allocated to it.