Drivers - Bus Reviews & Opinions

[2206]

What happened to the garage threads .

Just seen a NX letter saying bordsley green garage to close in  October due to high costs etc
No 8 to Perry Barr 17/55 to central

Garage thread still exists @2900
http://wmbusphotos.com/forum/index.php?topic=100.msg280745#new

It was said 17 to Acocks Green in the Bordesley Thread? Is it not going to AG then?

[John]

Garage thread still exists @2900
http://wmbusphotos.com/forum/index.php?topic=100.msg280745#new

It was said 17 to Acocks Green in the Bordesley Thread? Is it not going to AG then?

17 is to Acocks Green yes

[2900]

17 is to Acocks Green yes

My bad yes 17 to AG just re,read the letter

[2900]

I do wonder in these very uncertain times if certain plans laid out for the future will be accelerated now, rumours going around westbrom and central garages could be closed sooner than planned.
Government grants won't last for ever. I can see more parents turning to cars to drop children off to school etc. With so many adults on Dudley/soho from choosing not to wear masks etc etc,
I have only experienced once at the start of July police  clearing my bus of people not wearing masks.

[BK63 YWP]

I do wonder in these very uncertain times if certain plans laid out for the future will be accelerated now, rumours going around westbrom and central garages could be closed sooner than planned.
Government grants won't last for ever. I can see more parents turning to cars to drop children off to school etc. With so many adults on Dudley/soho from choosing not to wear masks etc etc,
I have only experienced once at the start of July police  clearing my bus of people not wearing masks.

West Brom closing?? Is this the move to Great Bridge?

[aSingh]

6976.

What in the world happened to this bus. Absolute slug when pulling away from a stop. A nightmare at fast roundabouts (Galton Bridge). Can hardly reach 15mph when going up hill thats just up Cape Hill, don't get me started when I had it on the 13A going up Tame Road
Blue interior light not working. Steering wheel missing ADL logo. All other 82/87 platinums can reach 40mph quite easily although not needed to. Hard piece of work this bus is. Feels like a 74 49XX.

[2900]

Seasons greetings all, been a while since I had mooch around this forum.
Still stood outside during breaks in bus shelters, no McDonald's, sainsburys cafe etc.
I would like to know how come Birmingham garages have a staff bus running around all day while westbroms has been taken off. I have to bring my car to keep warm during breaks my walking to work has nose dived this year.
  oldbury  is strategically important to management for great building blocks for duties not important enough to provide facilities though.
The man  who assaulted and racially abused me last Christmas in Oldbury was found guilty at Walsall magistrates court recently thankfully all witnesses turned up to give evidence, the most annoying part nothing from national express, platinum bus with video and sound recording no help to me in court.
The court awarded me compensation which I will donate to Birmingham children's hospital.

[2900]

Haven't seen a streetdeck in ages have they gone up north to one Barnsleys finest bus busters.

Bordsley green and now Scottish operations being moved on too who's next for the chop.
Coventry expanded in a way I guess taking on decourcey work .

[karl724223]

Seasons greetings all, been a while since I had mooch around this forum.
Still stood outside during breaks in bus shelters, no McDonald's, sainsburys cafe etc.
I would like to know how come Birmingham garages have a staff bus running around all day while westbroms has been taken off. I have to bring my car to keep warm during breaks my walking to work has nose dived this year.
  oldbury  is strategically important to management for great building blocks for duties not important enough to provide facilities though.
The man  who assaulted and racially abused me last Christmas in Oldbury was found guilty at Walsall magistrates court recently thankfully all witnesses turned up to give evidence, the most annoying part nothing from national express, platinum bus with video and sound recording no help to me in court.
The court awarded me compensation which I will donate to Birmingham children's hospital.

welcome to pensnetts world where we don't get nothing

[2900]

Greetings all been ages since my last post.

Rumours floating around westbrom garage 12/13 service levels to be reduced with the 12 serving Portland rd to maintain 10 minute frequency between bearwood and city centre I can see the logic in that plus all boards to be operated by the The Farm.
Westbrom to gain some number 4 service boards from Walsall garage makes sense I see a few 4s running private to and from blackheath.

I do stress just driver gossip nothing official from nx management, just thought i,d share see what folks opinions are.

[Sh4318]

Greetings all been ages since my last post.

Rumours floating around westbrom garage 12/13 service levels to be reduced with the 12 serving Portland rd to maintain 10 minute frequency between bearwood and city centre I can see the logic in that plus all boards to be operated by the The Farm.
Westbrom to gain some number 4 service boards from Walsall garage makes sense I see a few 4s running private to and from blackheath.

I do stress just driver gossip nothing official from nx management, just thought i,d share see what folks opinions are.

Surely the minimum frequency has to stay as it is every 30 minutes per route, with A routes combining to make a 15 minute frequency.

I got on an Omnlink on the 12A to other day and it was standing room only

If anything, more deckers are required, specifically in peaks

[2900]

Greetings all, just thought I,d share some goings on, driver shortage a real problem now many colleagues have with HGV class 1 licences have gone, DPD very welcoming right now with very very attractive pay offers and bonuses that NX can't even hope to  compete with.
Every day at 3 to 5 87s are run into garage with no drivers to complete running board , today alone I heard there 10 running boards in garage . IMO the recently accepted pay deal is a joke , current duties and dutie compasses are a joke. With gaps in services will just make problem worse for those that remain, traffic office clerks do all they can to cover duties on overtime but many of us not interested for normal pay its no incentive. I want 3hrs 48 on top of a duty payment before I will come in. There are things going on at management level we wait and see the fall out from that.

[Wumpty]

Greetings all, just thought I,d share some goings on, driver shortage a real problem now many colleagues have with HGV class 1 licences have gone, DPD very welcoming right now with very very attractive pay offers and bonuses that NX can't even hope to  compete with.
Every day at 3 to 5 87s are run into garage with no drivers to complete running board , today alone I heard there 10 running boards in garage . IMO the recently accepted pay deal is a joke , current duties and dutie compasses are a joke. With gaps in services will just make problem worse for those that remain, traffic office clerks do all they can to cover duties on overtime but many of us not interested for normal pay its no incentive. I want 3hrs 48 on top of a duty payment before I will come in. There are things going on at management level we wait and see the fall out from that.

Appreciate your comments, though there are differences between the key skills required between HGV and PCV drivers. As a former HGV assessor, the majority (not all) HGV drivers can jump in a cab after a load briefing and drive off with the load. With PCV driving, it's more of a service environment with a host of additional customer service skills required to interact with the public. The bus industry has become more about customers than just passengers, though I've always said that bus drivers are carrying the most precious load of all - humans - and they do deserve better pay.

Both are highly skilled in their field, t

[B.C Driver]

Greetings all, just thought I,d share some goings on, driver shortage a real problem now many colleagues have with HGV class 1 licences have gone, DPD very welcoming right now with very very attractive pay offers and bonuses that NX can't even hope to  compete with.
Every day at 3 to 5 87s are run into garage with no drivers to complete running board , today alone I heard there 10 running boards in garage . IMO the recently accepted pay deal is a joke , current duties and dutie compasses are a joke. With gaps in services will just make problem worse for those that remain, traffic office clerks do all they can to cover duties on overtime but many of us not interested for normal pay its no incentive. I want 3hrs 48 on top of a duty payment before I will come in. There are things going on at management level we wait and see the fall out from that.

The media seems focused on the HGV driver shortage and the empty supermarket shelves.

What about the bus driver shortage which results in people being late for work - nurses for example...

And as you said those who stay are left with buses missing in front of them and hightened stress.

[the trainbasher]

What gets me is yes, there's a shortage of drivers in the industry, yes, pay is terrible at some operators, yet we're still in a pandemic, companies are having to tighten their belts wherever possible, so maybe the fact they can't pay time and half for overtime is because the bus op can't afford to as it means that that individual route/depot ends up loss making, meaning that even more belt tightening needs to be done.

Plus, to be fair, the UK never really managed to recover from the 2008 financial problems.