(17 Nov 2022, 5:27 pm)xpm wrote After nearly a year away now, I still see experienced drivers leaving, or on the sick because they've just had enough - the same reasons I left.  I reckon a half to 2/3rds of the experienced drivers I used to work with left around the time I did (either before or in the last year), and there are still a few hanging on hoping to ride it out or are close to retirement.

For me in a post COVID world passengers became on the whole one of two types of people -  a bit more thoughtful, or foot to the floor I'm gonna be an complete asshat.  For me there were just too many asshats and the constant abuse day in day out just became too much.  When raised with management the sympathised but their line was 'there's nothing we can do'.  There was also the blatants lies of 'of course we're investing in your depot - we're not going to close it' - when they absolutely knew they were - similarly office based managers who have no clue on the day to day running of routes overruling their own driving school staff and H&S assessments saying it's safe to stop in road junctions on a dual carriageway for example when it clearly is not.

In terms of fitting rotas to better suit peoples personal circumstances there are more opportunities at larger depots but I was simply told, even though there was only one other person at my depot on a fixed rota - they won't do that - it'd upset too many people and everyone would want to do it - is it so hard to try and accomodate the majority of your staff - no it's easier just to piss them all off.

Current poor retention rates are due to the same old tired and ineffective management style who look after themselves and surround themselves with similar personalities.  Concentrating on lambasting drivers for having a hint of a hi-viz on show when running 40 mins late - losing most of your break except bare minimum and then being told to run 20 mins late in service with the next service 10 mins behind.  If you stand there with the whip all the time, people are going to very quickly learn that they need to do just enough to avoid being whipped.

But hey - look at the pay rate we've beaten them up to now - 'go-ahead' - be a bus driver, be abused, be run ragged trying to keep a service on time, be physically and mentally exhausted most days, drive a bus you know is almost certainly going to break down with the same fault you reported yesterday, and the day before.  Endure complaints about no saloon heating for your passengers for days or weeks because it's not classed as essential and they will only take the bus off the road for driver heating faults probably until it's due annual PSV - even then it still probably won't get fixed as long as the fan is running.

Enjoy the charvas who get away with everything because the company has no balls to do anything about it.  Endure the rota mistakes that aren't rectified for months that mean if you did your first use check and were to complete your 5.5hr run you'd be running illegally - that is without running late.  Enjoy the ability to have feedback regarding service improvements and rota amendments routinely ignored.

...... or just do something else, don't have the stress, anxiety, depression, and the effect it has on your own family at home.  Do you think this will attract more drivers?

Are you me? I left Arriva a few months ago after 22 years of service. I'd just had enough. Being lied to and abused by punters and other road users always came with the territory but it had gotten completely out of hand over the last few years. I now work in a factory. Yes, it's monotonous work, but on the other hand, no abuse, no complaints, I get to start and finish at the same time everyday and it's far less stressful. All for only 40p an hour less than I was getting on the top rate at Arriva.