(08 Oct 2022, 9:27 am)Starscream wrote Is it still legal for an operator to run unregistered services as long as they're free?
Maybe GNE could extract some good publicity and even some onward paying custom by quickly training up a few new drivers and sticking them on low paid temporary contracts driving whatever is lying spare around the group to provide "necessary essential services" to the students/elderly/sick/poor that have been left "stranded" by the striking Stagecoach drivers.
It wouldn't even be too hard to argue to coroporate, if you factored in things like asset usage, training and marketing value, the exercise wouldn't even cost that much, even if it went on for months. Mere pennies on the bottom line of a large group like GNE.
In the old days the might have simply led to an act of solidarity from GNE staff making it unworkable at best, a PR disaster at worst, but these days, when by now I think surely everyone has realised that a newly created Sunderland Municipal Transport is at least five if not ten years away, I'm not so sure it's not at least an even money bet that GNE staff would see this as a sensible act of competition, taking advantage of a temporary weakness in their neighbour's position, that could lead to temporary or even permanent benefits to their own situation.
It would surely be the height of irony if a Stagecoach operation ended up falling victim to the free bus loophole.
Disagree with this strongly, it's a total arse hole move and I wouldn't expect any driver at Deptford to be open to do it especially considering what they've just been through.
Bus drivers should be in unison over wages not bailing each others bosses out. I'm sure Stagecoach drivers would be very happy to help GNE out if the foot turned the opposite way so what's the point in ever striking as it goes nowhere. Bus drivers don't pledge an alliance to GoAhead so whether they make a loss or a £100m profit is irrelevant all they care about is the wage they pick up at the end of the day.
Never cross a picket line and that includes other companies aswell.
Not to mention Deptford don't have enough drivers to run their normal service nevermind other services.