GRS Travel

[Trident 4194]

I actually quite liked grs on the 16. I would opt for diamond then grs then nx

[Tony]

I actually quite liked grs on the 16. I would opt for diamond then grs then nx

So you preferred buses driven by drivers so bad even the owner admits that they were the cause of his massive insurance hike?

[karl724223]

So you preferred buses driven by drivers so bad even the owner admits that they were the cause of his massive insurance hike?

it was unbelievable what there drivers were getting up to on the 246 all of them

[Trident 4194]

So you preferred buses driven by drivers so bad even the owner admits that they were the cause of his massive insurance hike?

There was one driver, an old man with a hat, Asian he was so polite even if he did drive unbelievably slowly

[Tony]

There was one driver, an old man with a hat, Asian he was so polite even if he did drive unbelievably slowly

I believe he was the one in a serious collision that was the main cause of GRS's insurance rise!

[Trident 4194]

I believe he was the one in a serious collision that was the main cause of GRS's insurance rise!

I do apologise I only look the grs because of there low passenger numbers and not dirty disgusting vehicles

[PM]

I caught GRS a lot during the time they started on the 246 last summer. They appeared to be loading quite well and then they just vanished. I don't imagine the 11 is working well for them but the regular driver of R923RAU was absolutely fantastic, excellent customer service and seemed a very slow, smooth and steady driver. I just hope that such individuals still have a job with GRS or have found another. At the end of the day, it's people's jobs at stake with mortgages, family etc which I'd say people overlook when wishing for revocations or smaller operators off the road etc.

[the trainbasher]

I caught GRS a lot during the time they started on the 246 last summer. They appeared to be loading quite well and then they just vanished. I don't imagine the 11 is working well for them but the regular driver of R923RAU was absolutely fantastic, excellent customer service and seemed a very slow, smooth and steady driver. I just hope that such individuals still have a job with GRS or have found another. At the end of the day, it's people's jobs at stake with mortgages, family etc which I'd say people overlook when wishing for revocations or smaller operators off the road etc.

I can wholeheartedly agree with you there @DiamondDart. I used to use the GRS 246 quite often (mainly as they would be 99% on time - as opposed to NXWMs reliablity) and I was initally surprised to see them vanish too.
I had a look on 2 separate 11C trips on 2 different days and one (R404) was standing room only, with the other trip (the X plate) only me and one other person.
Only one dart of theirs I didn't like and that was T201AFM as that had a floor which sunk slightly when I walked over part of it.

[Stuharris 6360]

So are you saying @the trainbasher @DiamondDart that GRS should be allowed to get away with things, after all the PI report is pretty damning.

[PM]

I can wholeheartedly agree with you there @DiamondDart. I used to use the GRS 246 quite often (mainly as they would be 99% on time - as opposed to NXWMs reliablity) and I was initally surprised to see them vanish too.
I had a look on 2 separate 11C trips on 2 different days and one (R404) was standing room only, with the other trip (the X plate) only me and one other person.
Only one dart of theirs I didn't like and that was T201AFM as that had a floor which sunk slightly when I walked over part of it.

I thought the 246 had a lot of potential, people were genuinely warming to this one guy's customer service. I remember once a frail old lady got on and he waited absolutely ages for her to sit down and asked her if she was ok. I was astonished to see them vanish, there seemed grand plans for the 222 as well. I'm glad they're doing ok on the 11 in a couple of your observations. R404 is a nice bus, R923 has got to be my favourite though, amazing condition that one!

Thinking back to the last week or so, we've seen a well known Glasgow operator, City Sprinter abruptly shut, Hereford going to shut, potential job contractions in the Potteries, Astons 382 is going, need I go on. The year's also seen Western Greyhound go, First Plymouth thankfully saved, I wish people wouldn't wish the industry to actually diminish!!

[PM]

So are you saying @the trainbasher @DiamondDart that GRS should be allowed to get away with things, after all the PI report is pretty damning.

Nope of course not, I just think it's a bit harsh to slag people off on here completely unable to defend themselves eg drivers.  I don't think any operator should be allowed to have low standards of maintenance etc and the KPI's at GRS were obviously going wrong. I do think it's fair to say, as the TC acknowledged, Mr GRS was clearly ill for a substantial amount of time last year. It can't be easy combining trying to manage a business properly to pay the bills and employ people with potentially being ill yourself. Anyone with the guts to go out there, have a go, run a bus business in difficult times I'll always admire. Yes things clearly went wrong, but the company has been running more than 5 years and only had 1 previous PI related largely to SQBP compliance.

[the trainbasher]

So are you saying @the trainbasher @DiamondDart that GRS should be allowed to get away with things, after all the PI report is pretty damning.

@stuharris6360 Put it this way, if NXWM or Diamond did some of the stuff that GRS allegedly did (of course the press can distort facts) then they would (and do) get off with it. Do you remember the situation with diamond losing wheels off buses and their constant lateness on several routes...or NXWM and their bus fires? No PIs for them.

I can only remember one operator that genuinely deserved their licence revoked and that was A2Z...

I thought the 246 had a lot of potential, people were genuinely warming to this one guy's customer service. I remember once a frail old lady got on and he waited absolutely ages for her to sit down and asked her if she was ok. I was astonished to see them vanish, there seemed grand plans for the 222 as well. I'm glad they're doing ok on the 11 in a couple of your observations. R404 is a nice bus, R923 has got to be my favourite though, amazing condition that one!

Thinking back to the last week or so, we've seen a well known Glasgow operator, City Sprinter abruptly shut, Hereford going to shut, potential job contractions in the Potteries, Astons 382 is going, need I go on. The year's also seen Western Greyhound go, First Plymouth thankfully saved, I wish people wouldn't wish the industry to actually diminish!!

I thought it would do well too but of course with Centro and NXWM ganging up on them, conspiring to get them to leave the bus station then the grim reaper would eventually raise its head for that route.

[MW]

They are complete and utter prats, the drivers are absolutely dangerous. I was coming round the bend and on the straight on Dudley Park/Yardley Road(by stage 27/Francis Road) at around 20mph. You can only fit one bus on this stretch so if one is coming the other way it has to wait.

Anyway I was half way on the stretch and a GRS dart came flying the other side and I quickly braked. When he came close to me he realised he couldn't fit and swerved into the pavement at at least 25mph and drove straight over it and carried on. Absolute morons!

[Tony]

@stuharris6360 Put it this way, if NXWM or Diamond did some of the stuff that GRS allegedly did (of course the press can distort facts) then they would (and do) get off with it. Do you remember the situation with diamond losing wheels off buses and their constant lateness on several routes...or NXWM and their bus fires? No PIs for them.

I can only remember one operator that genuinely deserved their licence revoked and that was A2Z...



I thought it would do well too but of course with Centro and NXWM ganging up on them, conspiring to get them to leave the bus station then the grim reaper would eventually raise its head for that route.

These are not things GRS 'allegedly did' these are things observed by people working for the DVSA and found to have happened at a PI

[Stuharris 6360]

I thought it would do well too but of course with Centro and NXWM ganging up on them, conspiring to get them to leave the bus station then the grim reaper would eventually raise its head for that route.

"Centro had threatened to ban Mr Ram from Dudley and Stourbridge bus stations for non-compliant timetables, but he volunteered to leave. "

If he thought they were in the right, then why didn't he stick at the bus station. Simple, if they parked in the road underneath the bus station or in the lay by in Birmingham Street, it was easy to see a 246 about to leave and take off in front of them.

The easy answer to this was for him to make his timetable compliant!