Petition to get Diamond out of Redditch

[Cedric]

one question  all these firms that people  would like to move in  to Worcestershire
they had a chance to buy the operations when first put them up for sale there must
have been some big reason that they did not then buy them then?

something just been on BBC H&W News   about diamond,  and WCC
it seamed like they  where talking about the same thing that is in link
posted by  Mw  yesterday 

and people who are on facebook   take a look at this page
First Bus in Bristol are Completely and Utterly Useless
a facebook group

[tank90]

one question  all these firms that people  would like to move in  to Worcestershire
they had a chance to buy the operations when first put them up for sale there must
have been some big reason that they did not then buy them then?

something just been on BBC H&W News   about diamond,  and WCC
it seamed like they  where talking about the same thing that is in link
posted by  Mw  yesterday 

and people who are on facebook   take a look at this page
First Bus in Bristol are Completely and Utterly Useless
a facebook group

Yes but First wouldn't sell the fleet that should have been at both Redditch and Kidderminster. First wanted shot of the 10 Presidents the non DDA darts and the Lances and only 3 E300s and not the 5 Alx 400s, 3 darts that went to WR and HR now in the potteries and the rest of the E300s from Redditch. if a company had wanted to buy these the price would have gone up sharply, Rotala were the only ones prepared to buy at the price they got. If they hadn't Whittle maybe still around and First might be still in Redditch.

[Tony]

Yes but First wouldn't sell the fleet that should have been at both Redditch and Kidderminster..

They would, Simon told us that, but First's valuation was higher than Rotala's so Rotala chose not to take them

[j789]

They would, Simon told us that, but First's valuation was higher than Rotala's so Rotala chose not to take them

Diamond clearly don't know what a good bus is then. Compared to their many darts, the E300s are far superior buses which actually seem to be getting more reliable with age. Worcester's fleet improved greatly with the influx of the E300s when Redditch was sold and the fleet has got better and better since then with the new arrivals.

Another point to make is that there are very few ex First drivers left with Diamond (most seem to have left or moved back to first/ Astons or similar) now which probably suggests what sort of conditions drivers are subjected too. Bad times indeed.

[tank90]

They would, Simon told us that, but First's valuation was higher than Rotala's so Rotala chose not to take them

Yes and the cost of what Rotala bought over stretched them. As I have said before they bought FMR RH & KR they always had the best buses the Volvos they used to be looked after well.

It would explain why NX Stagecoach and Johnsons did not want to put a bid in as First didn't want to budge on how much the 5 Alx 400 5/6 Darts VX54/05 and the 10 or more E300s. Diamond have bitten off well more than they can chew and it now shows and in a way its sad.

Not all the RH/KR drivers went across those that did stay either stayed for a few weeks and moved to WR or Whittle Johnsons Stagecoach. Drivers don't stay to long in Redditch or Kiddy

[Reece]

Yes and the cost of what Rotala bought over stretched them. As I have said before they bought FMR RH & KR they always had the best buses the Volvos they used to be looked after well.

It would explain why NX Stagecoach and Johnsons did not want to put a bid in as First didn't want to budge on how much the 5 Alx 400 5/6 Darts VX54/05 and the 10 or more E300s. Diamond have bitten off well more than they can chew and it now shows and in a way its sad.

Not all the RH/KR drivers went across those that did stay either stayed for a few weeks and moved to WR or Whittle Johnsons Stagecoach. Drivers don't stay to long in Redditchor Kiddy

There are still a few exFirst drivers left at Kiddy.

[tank90]

There are still a few exFirst drivers left at Kiddy.

The amount of ex First driver across the two garages are very very low. A lot have left, granted there are a few tho.

[MW]

Most First drivers moved to Worcester or Johnsons as far as I know. Handful left at Redditch. Many drivers at Redditch are actually ex Long Acre and Tividale.

[Reece]

Meanwhile BBC Hereford and Worcester are out on the Diamond Buses today in Kidderminster and Redditch.

[winston]

Diamond have got until the end of Feb to improve services:
http://redditchstandard.co.uk/news/diamond-bus-improve-services-lose-licence/

[Tomf1993]

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.

Best thing Ive read all day @MW  well what can I say its a bit like Abellio London really.

[barry619]

Diamond have got until the end of Feb to improve services:
http://redditchstandard.co.uk/news/diamond-bus-improve-services-lose-licence/

What any motormouths on the local council might suggest should happen is irrelevant, because contrary to what Coun Lunn would appear to think it's not actually him and his Labour buddies that decide whether O-Licences are revoked or not. Nor is it for him to issue ultimatums to that effect.

Nick Jones is judge, jury and executioner and anyone who thinks six weeks is enough for it to be dealt with has no knowledge of how TCs or the Public Inquiry process works, and know-nothings on local councils should keep their beaks out of things that they don't know anything about.

[StourportSam]

What any motormouths on the local council might suggest should happen is irrelevant, because contrary to what Coun Lunn would appear to think it's not actually him and his Labour buddies that decide whether O-Licences are revoked or not. Nor is it for him to issue ultimatums to that effect.

Nick Jones is judge, jury and executioner and anyone who thinks six weeks is enough for it to be dealt with has no knowledge of how TCs or the Public Inquiry process works, and know-nothings on local councils should keep their beaks out of things that they don't know anything about.

The councillors have received complaints from local people and have a responsibility to act, there would be an outcry if they did nothing.

The impression I got from the article is that after the meeting the councillors have given Diamond 6 weeks before they write to the TC and recommend taking the licence off them.

[barry619]

The councillors have received complaints from local people and have a responsibility to act, there would be an outcry if they did nothing.

The impression I got from the article is that after the meeting the councillors have given Diamond 6 weeks before they write to the TC and recommend taking the licence off them.

But there is the problem. Local councillors, who from my experience of them very often know nothing about anything bar feathering their own nests, are in no position to be passing recommendations to the TC that licences should be revoked. All TCs, including Nick Jones, are very highly-qualified and well-educated people who know transport law inside out and back to front. Anyone who thinks that they can suggest to them what to do will be given short shrift, as well they should be.

The other thing is that licences cannot just be revoked on a whim. There needs to be hard, clear evidence of major wrongdoing for a revocation at a first hearing - and stuff like 'well, Mrs Jones at 3 Acacia Avenue told me that the 1030hrs service 10 didn't turn up a week last Tuesday' won't fall into that category.

[StourportSam]

But there is the problem. Local councillors, who from my experience of them very often know nothing about anything bar feathering their own nests, are in no position to be passing recommendations to the TC that licences should be revoked. All TCs, including Nick Jones, are very highly-qualified and well-educated people who know transport law inside out and back to front. Anyone who thinks that they can suggest to them what to do will be given short shrift, as well they should be.

The other thing is that licences cannot just be revoked on a whim. There needs to be hard, clear evidence of major wrongdoing for a revocation at a first hearing - and stuff like 'well, Mrs Jones at 3 Acacia Avenue told me that the 1030hrs service 10 didn't turn up a week last Tuesday' won't fall into that category.

But that is my point. Even if it is pointless and fruitless, the local councillors have a responsibility to write to the TC and voice the concerns of local residents.

I have no knowledge of goings on in Redditch, but from what I have seen posted on here, in local news and statements by Diamond themselves there are far more problems than the so and so service not turning up etc.