Bank Holiday Services
Bank Holiday Services
(28 Aug 2022, 8:17 pm)streetdeckfan People also act as if everyone has to work every bank holiday if they start running a proper service, when in reality that would never be the case.
That's like saying because Tesco is open 24 hours, staff have to work 24 hours a day.
(28 Aug 2022, 8:17 pm)streetdeckfan People also act as if everyone has to work every bank holiday if they start running a proper service, when in reality that would never be the case.
That's like saying because Tesco is open 24 hours, staff have to work 24 hours a day.
(28 Aug 2022, 8:21 pm)Adrian Maybe their staff don't have real lives, emotions or feelings though.
(28 Aug 2022, 8:09 pm)Adrian What do you think people should do on a bank holiday, if everything closes, because no one ever has to work one? Nothing open, no pubs/bars/restaurants, no sporting events, no TV, no Internet, no electric or gas. Sounds like a fun day.I'm not suggesting anything close to that, but you keep believing I am.
(28 Aug 2022, 8:09 pm)Adrian What do you think people should do on a bank holiday, if everything closes, because no one ever has to work one? Nothing open, no pubs/bars/restaurants, no sporting events, no TV, no Internet, no electric or gas. Sounds like a fun day.I'm not suggesting anything close to that, but you keep believing I am.
(28 Aug 2022, 8:39 pm)F114TML I'm not suggesting anything close to that, but you keep believing I am.
What I'm saying is, bus drivers probably want to take bank holidays off, and would probably be pretty annoyed when they're told to work one; enhanced pay and extra holiday allowance in lieu sweetens the deal but there'll be a point the company won't be willing to give such extras. Demands for extra services will mean extra drivers on the road - drivers that may not be willing to work BHs. Yes you sign up to the job in the knowledge it'll involve some bank holiday work - but every bank holiday?
TV already run on reduced workforce on weekends and BHs (ever noticed the local news is very rarely more than about 10-15 minutes once per day on weekends? I'm sure all those extra journalists and technicians would love working weekends and bank holidays to put together 3 long news bulletins). Most shops also run reduced opening hours.
(28 Aug 2022, 8:39 pm)F114TML I'm not suggesting anything close to that, but you keep believing I am.
What I'm saying is, bus drivers probably want to take bank holidays off, and would probably be pretty annoyed when they're told to work one; enhanced pay and extra holiday allowance in lieu sweetens the deal but there'll be a point the company won't be willing to give such extras. Demands for extra services will mean extra drivers on the road - drivers that may not be willing to work BHs. Yes you sign up to the job in the knowledge it'll involve some bank holiday work - but every bank holiday?
TV already run on reduced workforce on weekends and BHs (ever noticed the local news is very rarely more than about 10-15 minutes once per day on weekends? I'm sure all those extra journalists and technicians would love working weekends and bank holidays to put together 3 long news bulletins). Most shops also run reduced opening hours.
When I worked at Arriva, bank holidays were voluntary (it was normally the same drivers each time who volunteered and got picked). You get an enhanced rate of pay plus a lieu day to take. Unsure if its the same now.
Now at GNE you may or may not be on the rota to work. It's not voluntary either. You get a slight enhancement and also a lieu day (which are just about impossible to take but if you aquire any they a lumped onto the end of your winter holidays which are also company allocated). The only time it's purely voluntary for normal services in boxing day when pay is significantly higher plus you get a lieu day.
Buses on bank holidays tend to be quite busy and the traffic is normally busy too. However with Sunday timetables come Sunday running times (vastly reduced from weekday timings). I feel an enhanced timetable would be beneficial but what routes would you pick? Also if passengers use more than one operator/mode of transport and only one has and enhanced timetable, you still have the issue of passengers not being able to complete their desired journey. Therefore for it to be appealing to the public, it would have to be an all operators and all modes enhancement.
(28 Aug 2022, 8:57 pm)Adrian But again, 'every bank holiday' is mentioned. Why would it ever need to be every bank holiday, when there's never likely to be a full timetable demand for the foreseeable future? How many are expected to work every Sunday?Just applying some basic logic here.
(28 Aug 2022, 8:57 pm)Adrian But again, 'every bank holiday' is mentioned. Why would it ever need to be every bank holiday, when there's never likely to be a full timetable demand for the foreseeable future? How many are expected to work every Sunday?Just applying some basic logic here.
(28 Aug 2022, 9:11 pm)F114TML Just applying some basic logic here.I feel like only certain services should have them including but not limited too
More journeys = more drivers. Those who already work a couple BHs would likely need to work more BHs, as well as potentially bringing in drivers who never work BHs. I'm not suggesting they introduce a full weekday timetable like you seem to think I am.
(28 Aug 2022, 9:11 pm)F114TML Just applying some basic logic here.I feel like only certain services should have them including but not limited too
More journeys = more drivers. Those who already work a couple BHs would likely need to work more BHs, as well as potentially bringing in drivers who never work BHs. I'm not suggesting they introduce a full weekday timetable like you seem to think I am.
What happens with routed that are contracted out on Sundays?
Does GNE run to the Sunday timetable or do they just not run it?
Or, is it a part of the contract to run it?
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You can cover Sundays and Bank Holidays without making drivers work 7 day weeks, just like other industries with round the clock service.
And while it's not necessarily the case in this part of the country, there are many people in this country who do not celebrate Christmas and would be happy to work, that day. One of our local convenience stores, run by people who don't celebrate Christmas, makes a small fortune, that day.
Though, currently, we can't staff the hours we do need (collectively, not just bus drivers) so no chance of making big changes to operating patterns.
I get the impression very much like the railways that those who work in the industry and post on here feel the service should be run for their benefit and social lives and not passengers because…it’s always been done like that.
If they ever left this region and looked at public transport provision elsewhere in the UK (including and whisper this…Christmas and New Year’s Day) then their tiny provincial minds would be blown
Don’t forget that bus companies don’t have any obligations or duty to run a bus service on a bank holiday (example: run a bus on the x21 from bishop Auckland to Newcastle at 7am on bank holiday morning). This is what happens when you privatise the bus companies from 86, and it came down to the local authorities to cough up trying to cover bus services which don’t seemed fit for profit for bus companies businesses
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(28 Aug 2022, 9:31 pm)streetdeckfan What happens with routed that are contracted out on Sundays?
Does GNE run to the Sunday timetable or do they just not run it?
Or, is it a part of the contract to run it?
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(28 Aug 2022, 9:31 pm)streetdeckfan What happens with routed that are contracted out on Sundays?
Does GNE run to the Sunday timetable or do they just not run it?
Or, is it a part of the contract to run it?
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(28 Aug 2022, 1:34 pm)F114TML I would presume the issue lies with the drivers actually. Stagecoach offer extra benefits to drivers who work bank holidays (extra day added to holiday allowance and higher pay for that day), presumably GNE are the same. Ergo, passenger numbers need to be higher on Sundays and bank holidays. Would be interesting to see someone run a service with a normal timetable on a sunday/bank holiday. I'm doubtful it'd last long though unless it was something like the 20 or 21.
(28 Aug 2022, 1:34 pm)F114TML I would presume the issue lies with the drivers actually. Stagecoach offer extra benefits to drivers who work bank holidays (extra day added to holiday allowance and higher pay for that day), presumably GNE are the same. Ergo, passenger numbers need to be higher on Sundays and bank holidays. Would be interesting to see someone run a service with a normal timetable on a sunday/bank holiday. I'm doubtful it'd last long though unless it was something like the 20 or 21.
(28 Aug 2022, 10:32 pm)Ambassador I get the impression very much like the railways that those who work in the industry and post on here feel the service should be run for their benefit and social lives and not passengers because…it’s always been done like that.I'm not against expanding bank holiday services I'm just questioning where the drivers are coming from without forcing people to work on days they don't want to, especially if GNE can't recruit enough drivers to run a normal timetable.
If they ever left this region and looked at public transport provision elsewhere in the UK (including and whisper this…Christmas and New Year’s Day) then their tiny provincial minds would be blown
(28 Aug 2022, 10:32 pm)Ambassador I get the impression very much like the railways that those who work in the industry and post on here feel the service should be run for their benefit and social lives and not passengers because…it’s always been done like that.I'm not against expanding bank holiday services I'm just questioning where the drivers are coming from without forcing people to work on days they don't want to, especially if GNE can't recruit enough drivers to run a normal timetable.
If they ever left this region and looked at public transport provision elsewhere in the UK (including and whisper this…Christmas and New Year’s Day) then their tiny provincial minds would be blown
(28 Aug 2022, 8:17 pm)streetdeckfan That's like saying because Tesco is open 24 hours, staff have to work 24 hours a day.
(28 Aug 2022, 8:17 pm)streetdeckfan That's like saying because Tesco is open 24 hours, staff have to work 24 hours a day.
(28 Aug 2022, 7:39 pm)cbma06 I take it that some people want a full bus service on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day and have drivers work there days off and have no holiday entitlement as some people want a full service , send an email to boris and he probably make it into law so drivers can’t go on holiday with there family as passengers wants to be somewhere, bank holidays are bank holidays are there for a reason
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(28 Aug 2022, 7:39 pm)cbma06 I take it that some people want a full bus service on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day and have drivers work there days off and have no holiday entitlement as some people want a full service , send an email to boris and he probably make it into law so drivers can’t go on holiday with there family as passengers wants to be somewhere, bank holidays are bank holidays are there for a reason
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