Emergency door controls on almost all service buses I’ve come across are simple air valves, independant of electrical systems, so isolating the electrics won’t make any difference to their operation. Even if the bus had a pretty serious air leak and the air depleted, then the doors would simply be able to be easily pulled open - if they hadn’t already started to. The only exceptions to this I’ve come across are the mellor breadvans and merc sprinter type conversions.

(18 Aug 2023, 9:35 pm)Unber43 wrote The thing is with Darlington there are no depots near by really for drivers to move to if they live locally well afaik, the nearest one is probably middlesbrough, where as Stagecoach/GNE Sunderland have each other to jump between, same with Newcastle.

Arriva Darlington (and all other depots South of the Tyne) current 'top' rate is £13.52 (£13.82 on weekends).

£12.02 was the rate before the recent increase, albeit clearly still advertising that rate in current adverts suggests incompetent HR.

On the Streedecks if the main switch is off and battery isolater switch is turned off then you can't use the door open buttons inside the cab to open them. The two buttons above the door always work regardless of whether the bus is isolated.

From what's been said at the depot is the drivers actually been arrested for this.

(19 Aug 2023, 12:17 am)TEN 6083 wrote Saw a comment on Facebook that the driver had enough of youths causing trouble on the bus so he walked off.


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I remember I was on the bus after a football match and people were chanting and the driver kept telling them to shut up screaming at them, so he just pulled in on a piece of road where if anyone wanted to just get off it would be 30 min walk to the next stop till they shut up. 

I felt so bad for him I can imagine that may have been a last straw for him

(19 Aug 2023, 8:27 am)NL62WVW wrote From what's been said at the depot is the drivers actually been arrested for this.

Calling bullshit on this. As far as I can see no crime has been committed. The police would have difficulty in making anything stick.



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Seens some comments from facebook that the driver said she/he (people kept saying He and She) couldn't cope and to stuff the job

(19 Aug 2023, 2:07 pm)Unber43 wrote Seens some comments from facebook that the driver said she/he (people kept saying He and She) couldn't cope and to stuff the job

I mean if its on Facebook, it must be true.

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I'm sure the experience was inconvenient for those on board, but realistically we have no idea about the drivers wellbeing or reasons for doing what they have done.

In terms of not telling the passengers, if the driver was in a bad place then the last thing that's going to help is to tell a bus full of passengers that they aren't getting home (even if there is a mechanical issue which means the bus physically cannot move, passengers still moan!), so I imagine they've decided the best option is to avoid any conflict at all?

From my point of view, if reports are true and the driver wasn't in a great state mentally, then they've absolutely done the right thing in not continuing to drive which would have potentially put themselves, the passengers, and other road users at risk. Given that the passengers have went straight to the press I think the driver has also made the correct call in not telling them why, as it doesn't seem like they're the most compassionate bunch. As for them being "helpless" as per the BBC article - there's literally an emergency exit at the back of the bus, and the front doors will have had emergency stickers instructing to push/pull on them as well as emergency buttons nearby.

Obviously we don't know the specifics and I doubt we ever will, but I'd hope that the driver is getting support if required.

Emergency door controls will work if a vehicle is isolated. Vehicles are isolated when parked overnight (and tend to loose air pressure also). Door controls in the cab are electrical and need the master switch (and sometimes ignition dependent on vehicle type) to be on. If emergency door controls don't work then this is a PG9 defect. Emergency door controls and in cab door controls are 2 seperate defects on the defect card.

I've not commented on this so far as I feel there are far more issues rather than a driver simply walking away. What I would say is the lack of support from those higher up (for whatever reason) and sometimes a total lack of duty of care towards drivers from some management is shocking. It definitely doesn't show bus driving as a good career or GNE as a good employer in my opinion (based on the quote).

As for the comment about the driver being arrested, the only thing that technically could have occured would be the driver taking his cash and not cashing in (this would/could be theft). However, if the company were to pursue that (and not allowing the driver to hand the cash in) it shows poor decision making from those involved.

The drivers wellbeing should be number 1, but its clear people dont give a stuff and would rather listen to gossip and would rather speculate, the driver would be my concern, rather than digging for the reasons for the driver upping and leaving,im not condoning what they did, but to me, its clear something is/was clearly wrong

GNE PR Disaster in 3-2-1: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...l#comments

(19 Aug 2023, 11:43 pm)solsburian wrote GNE PR Disaster in 3-2-1: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...l#comments

Inevitable but a huge blow, the 2nd most viewed in the country (already seeing huge engagement) and a major world wide source…

and that PR statement on every article. Doing things on the cheap, including your management and PR will eventually come to bite you back

When even the Daily Mail comment section is defending your driver…surely it’s time for a massive clear out at Bensham and beyond?

(19 Aug 2023, 11:49 pm)Ambassador wrote Inevitable but a huge blow, the 2nd most viewed in the country (already seeing huge engagement) and a major world wide source…

and that PR statement on every article. Doing things on the cheap, including your management and PR will eventually come to bite you back

When even the Daily Mail comment section is defending your driver…surely it’s time for a massive clear out at Bensham and beyond?

We (the customers) and they (the drivers) deserve better. There is an elephant in the room. They have built an industry based on leaching and dependent on public funds.

(19 Aug 2023, 11:49 pm)Ambassador wrote Inevitable but a huge blow, the 2nd most viewed in the country (already seeing huge engagement) and a major world wide source…

and that PR statement on every article. Doing things on the cheap, including your management and PR will eventually come to bite you back

When even the Daily Mail comment section is defending your driver…surely it’s time for a massive clear out at Bensham and beyond?

Not to mention that this story has gone right round the Internet before they picked up this story and the comments section on every shared post linking to an article is filled with former bus drivers including ex GNE staff saying how much of a thankless job it is along with how terrible it is dealing with the public, terrible shift patterns, being mentally draining and just feeling like nothing.

Unfortunately, attitudes to bus driving is at an all time low and passenger attitudes are also at rock bottom ultimately from some abysmal service offerings in recent times.

(20 Aug 2023, 12:57 pm)Jimmi wrote Not to mention that this story has gone right round the Internet before they picked up this story and the comments section on every shared post linking to an article is filled with former bus drivers including ex GNE staff saying how much of a thankless job it is along with how terrible it is dealing with the public, terrible shift patterns, being mentally draining and just feeling like nothing.

Unfortunately, attitudes to bus driving is at an all time low and passenger attitudes are also at rock bottom ultimately from some abysmal service offerings in recent times.

I'd argue that being a bus driver is the most thanked job in the country!

(20 Aug 2023, 12:57 pm)Jimmi wrote Not to mention that this story has gone right round the Internet before they picked up this story and the comments section on every shared post linking to an article is filled with former bus drivers including ex GNE staff saying how much of a thankless job it is along with how terrible it is dealing with the public, terrible shift patterns, being mentally draining and just feeling like nothing.

Unfortunately, attitudes to bus driving is at an all time low and passenger attitudes are also at rock bottom ultimately from some abysmal service offerings in recent times.

Replace bus driving with public sector. Just look at the trains, the postal service and the NHS. The amount of strikes at the minute seem like nearly every week.

Slightly different but people travelling kibbleswoth have been kicked of the 28b at Sainsbury team valley as drivers are saying the can't go into village. Happend multiple times so I hear.

(21 Aug 2023, 6:50 pm)Rob44 wrote Slightly different but people travelling kibbleswoth have been kicked of the 28b at Sainsbury team valley as drivers are saying the can't go into village. Happend multiple times so I hear.

They mustn't have gotten the memo.

Its now amassed over 110K views on BBC Tik Tok Page

Most replies either questioning the passenger saying theyve been locked in and asking after the driver nice to see.

(21 Aug 2023, 8:19 pm)Unber43 wrote Its now amassed over 110K views on BBC Tik Tok Page

Most replies either questioning the passenger saying theyve been locked in and asking after the driver nice to see.

I think it highlights something important.

The general public are well-aware of the amount of crap bus drivers get on a daily basis, but the vast majority respect the important job that they do.

In my opinion, operators aren't doing nearly enough to make working conditions a lot better for their driving staff. Without going over old ground on conditions, shifts, etc, which we've discussed 100x before on here, I'd bet that a rude customer is simply the trigger point or the straw that breaks the camel's back.

A lot more needs to be done, and if it was, perhaps recruitment and retention wouldn't be such a problem.



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(21 Aug 2023, 8:28 pm)Adrian wrote I think it highlights something important.

The general public are well-aware of the amount of crap bus drivers get on a daily basis, but the vast majority respect the important job that they do.

In my opinion, operators aren't doing nearly enough to make working conditions a lot better for their driving staff. Without going over old ground on conditions, shifts, etc, which we've discussed 100x before on here, I'd bet that a rude customer is simply the trigger point or the straw that breaks the camel's back.

A lot more needs to be done, and if it was, perhaps recruitment and retention wouldn't be such a problem.



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But the operators cannot control the passengers, and surely that just ways into the driver within an 8-12 hour shift espeically lates, wonder if any drivers love lates.

(21 Aug 2023, 8:28 pm)Adrian wrote I think it highlights something important.

The general public are well-aware of the amount of crap bus drivers get on a daily basis, but the vast majority respect the important job that they do.

In my opinion, operators aren't doing nearly enough to make working conditions a lot better for their driving staff. Without going over old ground on conditions, shifts, etc, which we've discussed 100x before on here, I'd bet that a rude customer is simply the trigger point or the straw that breaks the camel's back. 

A lot more needs to be done, and if it was, perhaps recruitment and retention wouldn't be such a problem.



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Plus the actual conditions they're working in day in/day out in the jockey seat.
Particularly if the issues have been reported previously and then subsequently overlooked or bodged. 

There's the scheduling, the inevitable delays and then the getting it in the neck from control because they're falling behind.

(21 Aug 2023, 8:40 pm)Unber43 wrote But the operators cannot control the passengers, and surely that just ways into the driver within an 8-12 hour shift espeically lates, wonder if any drivers love lates.

Every depot has a dedicated set of permanent backshift drivers who only work late lines.

(21 Aug 2023, 8:40 pm)Unber43 wrote But the operators cannot control the passengers, and surely that just ways into the driver within an 8-12 hour shift espeically lates, wonder if any drivers love lates.

You're missing the point. Like I said, I'd be the rude customer on a given day is merely the trigger point. Whilst I agree that operators can't control the passengers, they can have more of a zero tolerance than a couple social media posts once in a while. 

(21 Aug 2023, 9:11 pm)Andreos1 wrote Plus the actual conditions they're working in day in/day out in the jockey seat.
Particularly if the issues have been reported previously and then subsequently overlooked or bodged. 

There's the scheduling, the inevitable delays and then the getting it in the neck from control because they're falling behind.

It's a collection of issues imo, but as you've said time and time again, there's never been an active solution to the constant churn and recruitment drives.

Passengers going to the media?

More like passengers may of made a statement on their personal FB page account or Twitter and a local democracy reporter has spotted it and asked questions about the event and made a story to be shared via local regional and national papers

(22 Aug 2023, 9:53 pm)I DaveFromUpNorth wrote Passengers going to the media?

More like passengers may of made a statement on their personal FB page account or Twitter and a local democracy reporter has spotted it and asked questions about the event and made a story to be shared  via local regional and national papers

That’s literally how modern media works. Reach plc and The Mail just scrape social for a story 

Either way. It’s an awful awful look for bus passengers and not at all representative of how a journey would normally go…

Riverside would absolutely have cancelled that 21 run before it even started in real life

(22 Aug 2023, 9:35 am)Adrian wrote You're missing the point. Like I said, I'd be the rude customer on a given day is merely the trigger point. Whilst I agree that operators can't control the passengers, they can have more of a zero tolerance than a couple social media posts once in a while. 


It's a collection of issues imo, but as you've said time and time again, there's never been an active solution to the constant churn and recruitment drives. 

For a company in the financial mire, they don't half ignore some of the obvious cost savings. 
Imagine having all this time to fix recruitment and retention issues and constantly failing to stem the tide.
Spending hundreds of thousands of pounds advertising, recruiting, training per year and then waving goodbye to the people that's been trained...

(27 Aug 2023, 1:00 pm)Andreos1 wrote For a company in the financial mire, they don't half ignore some of the obvious cost savings. 
Imagine having all this time to fix recruitment and retention issues and constantly failing to stem the tide.
Spending hundreds of thousands of pounds advertising, recruiting, training per year and then waving goodbye to the people that's been trained...

Too many Blakeys who love the "power trip" is the problem to the whole recruitment / retention crisis within the bus industry.

(27 Aug 2023, 1:20 pm)L469 YVK wrote Too many Blakeys who love the "power trip" is the problem to the whole recruitment / retention crisis within the bus industry.

And incompetence. Don't forget the incompetence.

See theboyle92 comments on the timings for the 2.

Has anyone heard what happened to the driver yet?