Petition to get Diamond out of Redditch

[tank90]

Yes but there are ways of getting customers back on buses with stuff like free wifi, comfy seating and power points but again this would cost a lots of money. But I still really do think First Bus did the wrong thing selling Redditch they didn't give it enough time to turn it around and left the people of Redditch and Kidderminster with a rotting away bus service which is slowly dying. Today the service in the 2 areas is much like a rotting tree and even more so since Whittle Bus went and I am beginning to wonder if it can be saved at all has the rot gone to deep?? :( :'(

I know it is hard to understand my sympathy but if you lived in Kidderminster or Redditch area you would understand why...

I don't give a flying trout if the bus has wifi power points, I just want to get to work on time and not need to get a taxi! I want to be able to get to the hospital or town at the time or near to the time on the timetable. I can't, to get to my place of work (ASDA Redditch) I get a taxi £3.60 ago where I could get a day ticket for £1.90 but be late and get the sack. I can't turn up an hour before just to be on time for work.

Nobody in Redditch wants the latest fad on a bus they want one that turns up that understands english knows where its going has the right number displayed on time doesn't speed doesn't break down and doesn't fall apart or catch fire. Its not to much to ask, yes Midland Red West/First had there problems they at least kept the network simple and didn't keep changing every 6 months just to try something. 47 48 is the worst thing that has happened in Redditch the 55 and 56 where better as you could go the other way round and get to where you wanted at a reasonable time. And having routes interworked that are long distance isn't working, 62 67 64 70 47 48 55 should not be interworked. 67 should be stand alone as should the 47 48  55 the 70 and 64 should be interworking 62 stand alone.

[MW]

Diamond Redditch is definitely screwed now  :P

@Winston
Probably, I ain't got a clue on how to get about in Redditch. I'll know bits of the Signature and 146 routes

[j789]

The Diamond fleets at both Redditch & Kidderminster are far more modern under Rotala compared with First. Rotala are a smaller group compared with First and don't earn the profits margins of large groups. That said they did buy 5 new DF Streetlites in 2013, have added additional DF new & used examples plus drafted in a number of WF examples & there are a further 8 new DF Streetlites due in Feb this year.

I don't think any other group would come in & replace the majority of the fleet with new, there are always ways to grow passenger numbers, the first issue to address is being consistant & providing a reliable service.

NXWM had the opportunity to buy RH & KR but didn't conclude for whatever reason

Diamond Redditch is definitely screwed now  :P

But the problems still exist, which suggests two things. Either they have been very unlucky with bus reliability, driver shortages etc or bad management in not having the necessary back ups in place. As you said earlier in your post, the fleet is a lot smaller than their west mids one so they must have spare buses available. my issue with them is that as the only operator now they have a responsibility to run a good service without excuses. If they cannot maintain a reliable fleet and workforce then surely their is only one outcome anyway.

[Matt.N0056]

And I'm starting there in a few weeks lol

I'll see you around then!

[winston]

@Winston
Probably, I ain't got a clue on how to get about in Redditch. I'll know bits of the Signature and 146 routes

@MW sounds like you're going to have fun for a bit learning all the new routes. It will be interesting to see if your take on things matches what the local Redditch papers say

[Stu]

If you read some of the comments on social media, I'm sure loads of people would be saying the same about NX in the West Midlands ('old buses', never run on time etc)!  8)

[Cedric]

If you read some of the comments on social media, I'm sure loads of people would be saying the same about NX in the West Midlands ('old buses', never run on time etc)!  8)

does not seam that long ago people in Redditch and Kidderminster where saying exactly the same thing about First Bus ,  It May be just me but in the last couple of months services  in general seam to  be  better than they where earlier in 2015,  and with all the road works over the area covered by Kidderminster depot  is good.

[MW]

@MW sounds like you're going to have fun for a bit learning all the new routes. It will be interesting to see if your take on things matches what the local Redditch papers say

Yeah I'll see how it goes. I've pretty much been offered my job back at NXWM, but I'm gonna give this a chance first.

I'm really looking forward to the various types of vehicles though, wasn't much variety at AG. The enthusiast in me chose Redditch over Tividale purely because the types of vehicle lol. Both same distance from me aswell pretty much.

[Trident 4194]

Yeah I'll see how it goes. I've pretty much been offered my job back at NXWM, but I'm gonna give this a chance first.

I'm really looking forward to the various types of vehicles though, wasn't much variety at AG. The enthusiast in me chose Redditch over Tividale purely because the types of vehicle lol. Both same distance from me aswell pretty much.

Shame you didn't go for tividale, would have seen you no doubt

[Matt.N0056]

Yeah I'll see how it goes. I've pretty much been offered my job back at NXWM, but I'm gonna give this a chance first.

I'm really looking forward to the various types of vehicles though, wasn't much variety at AG. The enthusiast in me chose Redditch over Tividale purely because the types of vehicle lol. Both same distance from me aswell pretty much.

@MW be warned; it's a nightmare to get your car out of depot of a night of you finish late! Especially in the week! I'm quite enjoying it her tbf, although I'm only a casual driver  :D

[Liberator9]

The trouble in Redditch doesn't really surprise me - the Signature services have gone downhill this year and more so since Redditch took them over. Still high level of breakdowns and poor reliability - wouldn't surprise me if NXWM and Johnsons made a dent in the Signature contract work in the future.

Good luck MW there - glad that NX seemed to have provided an avenue back to them but hope you do well at Diamond. At NX my personal fav for variety is Yardley Wood (400s, 400MMCs, Scanias, Tridents, Presidents).

[MW]

The trouble in Redditch doesn't really surprise me - the Signature services have gone downhill this year and more so since Redditch took them over. Still high level of breakdowns and poor reliability - wouldn't surprise me if NXWM and Johnsons made a dent in the Signature contract work in the future.

Good luck MW there - glad that NX seemed to have provided an avenue back to them but hope you do well at Diamond. At NX my personal fav for variety is Yardley Wood (400s, 400MMCs, Scanias, Tridents, Presidents).

Yeah, maybe NXWM will try and get Diamond out of Solihull in the future. I don't know, but what I do know is AG/YW are at full capacity near enough, so it'd mean shuffling around. I'm thinking of when/if I go back, should I go to YW, hmmm...

@MW be warned; it's a nightmare to get your car out of depot of a night of you finish late! Especially in the week! I'm quite enjoying it her tbf, although I'm only a casual driver  :D

Haha, I'm sure I'll figure something out.

[MW]

So it looks like Diamond is about to get it's licence revoked.

P.s, I've already left, it's a s***hole and ran by idiots. First hand witness here.

Also, Johnsons are strongly rumoured to be coming into Redditch more.

[winston]

So it looks like Diamond is about to get it's licence revoked.

P.s, I've already left, it's a s***hole and ran by idiots. First hand witness here.

Also, Johnsons are strongly rumoured to be coming into Redditch more.

@MW - are you going by this recent article?
http://redditchstandard.co.uk/news/latest-proposal-improve-diamond-buses-lose-licence/

How long did you give it?

Johnson's have been rumoured to be increasing it's presense in RH for ages

[MW]

@MW - are you going by this recent article?
http://redditchstandard.co.uk/news/latest-proposal-improve-diamond-buses-lose-licence/

How long did you give it?

Johnson's have been rumoured to be increasing it's presense in RH for ages

Two days. I've left. Pathetic company to be honest. Pathetic state of vehicles. Every single vehicle I came across had some sort of fault. Serious faults like engines constantly cutting out (multiple vehicles this fault was), when in service and moving that is, resulting in no power steering, limited brakes etc. Forget the tedious faults at NXWM that are essentially meaningless, I'm talking real faults. Engine management lights on and running in limp mode in one case, and simply constantly resetting the bus. One bus, on the 247, every couple of minutes, the gearbox would simply shut down. Imagine your on a NSL road and it literally loses gears, nothing works. Slowly coming to a stop and you either had to wait for it, which was purely random and pot luck, or switch it off and on again. Buses with the whole fronts with filler. Buses running with loose wheel nuts (yes that is correct). Buses with leaks, still in service. And I haven't started on the 12-14 hour days every single driver was having. Minimum a driver's duty was 12 hours. Like what the hell. The drivers I was training with, some of them would come in a 6am and finish at approx 9pm. Now I'm sure that contravenes the RTA somewhere. I know why there's such a big problem in Redditch now. It's fully a cowboy operation there in Redditch. Whether Tividale is as bad, I don't know. But yeah, every single bus I went on had some sort of fault, and was usually an array of faults. Also, the VCR's weren't big enough to record the faults, I know this sounds like an exaggeration, but no. They're short of approx 35 drivers at Redditch, and going down more with these hours. It's been this bad for approx 3-4 months according to the drivers. According to many of the staff including management, it's due to stupid things like accounts not being paid for parts companies, thus meaning parts not delivered to garage, and buses not being repaired. This sounds like BS, but who knows. Apparently Rotala really doesn't like spending money. It's insane how from a 3rd party view, prior to trying Diamond out, things don't look bad, but when you start, bloody hell. I was overlooking a hell of a lot and tried to remain optimistic, when one of the managers decided to randomly have a go at me. He was clearly in a bad mood already and tried to make me stay more than my hours to which I politely declined, and then he got a little personal, to which I told them to do one basically.

Nah just speaking to some Johnsons drivers at Redditch Bus Station. They reckon Johnsons management is/was waiting for the verdict, and then swooping into Redditch, according to a drivers meeting at Johnsons. Johnsons has allegedly purchased a quantity of vehicles already, specifically for Redditch. This is a rumour and not confirmed. I doubt it's true personally.

I'm going on what has been floating about in the garage earlier this week. Diamond's deadline to sorting itself out is today (14/01/2016), so I'm sure we'll hear what the council have to say. It was given 6 weeks, 6 weeks ago apparently. They can't really revoke the licence though, unless there's a backup ready and waiting. Johnsons is also apparently in talks with Worcestershire Council in taking on the many of Diamonds routes.

I do hope they get there licence revoked and a more proper company swoops in. I fully agree with all of the complaints you see on various social media websites now as well. Honestly I believe that there aren't enough complaints online than there should be. Before I would take them which a pinch of salt but now I've seen for myself. Utter disgrace of a company in my opinion. Other drivers are hoping for Stagecoach to take over due to their pay rate lol.