(20 Aug 2023, 8:14 pm)nova347 wrote So are the buses kept at Alnwick? Plus do drivers change between Alnwick and Ashington? Can you refuse to do the X15/X18 and just do like 35, the 1 etc?
There are 5 buses stationed there, but nothing that starts at Alnwick will finish the day there, unless swapped, as all Alnwick boards will finish at Ashington to ensure maintenance can be carried out as the outstation only has fuelling facilities. Obviously throughout the day vehicles which start at Alnwick will be driven by drivers based at Ashington, and vice versa.
Alnwick drivers are based at the outstation, but can do overtime at Ashington. Ashington drivers can also do shifts at Alnwick.
Ultimately if you're put onto a rota which includes the X15/18 you'd be expected to drive those routes. Obviously Ashington currently has the minibus rota, which new drivers tend to start on, but sometimes you'll be put onto conventional work from the start. I would say that, from what I've heard, the X15/18s are a dream to drive compared to the stuff that goes into town several times per shift - I don't see any reason you'd not want to drive them.