Driver Shortages and service priorities

[Westy]

It's ok if you live near to a supposedly frequent route/corridor like the Bloxwich Road, then you won't really have to wait too long(see my recent posts!), but when you live on the outer reaches of the operating area like the Cannock X51, where the service is not as frequent, then I suppose Bob has a point.

Where should you put the priority?

At first glance, you'd say 'Put the priority into the routes that only run half hourly / hourly, then distribute the remaining drivers/buses amongst the remaining services which would have to probably have a service reduction to keep a fairly regular service!'

But, as our 'more learned' members, including Tony, would say, 'It's not as simple as that ', so perhaps we could have an insight into the likes of scheduling, for the benefit of those of us who don't understand these sort of things?

[2900]

Exactly, just starts turning into a cycle really. Similar situation happened with a CV 6A I was on, passenger hopped on started complaining about the bus being really late (which again it wasn't, the bus before was just missing) but there's just no need since it's putting a lot more stress on the current drivers that are just trying to do their job, not their fault that other drivers are leaving and this will just make them want to leave as well.

i,m a Dudley road driver of 25 years i've had enough of missing buses and getting hammered, over crowding, buggies galore, just not funny, Saturday gone i was in real discomfort i had pain behind right eye going across the right side of my head above my ear not good at all , i got home my eldest said that's migraine and stress, the pain on the right side of head lasted till 1 am
WEST BROM traffic phoned me at 0620 this morning i am thinking duck off leave me alone , not interested in working my Sunday OFF , the way its going those with HGV licenses will go too,  many all ready have

[2900]

It's ok if you live near to a supposedly frequent route/corridor like the Bloxwich Road, then you won't really have to wait too long(see my recent posts!), but when you live on the outer reaches of the operating area like the Cannock X51, where the service is not as frequent, then I suppose Bob has a point.

Where should you put the priority?

At first glance, you'd say 'Put the priority into the routes that only run half hourly / hourly, then distribute the remaining drivers/buses amongst the remaining services which would have to probably have a service reduction to keep a fairly regular service!'

But, as our 'more learned' members, including Tony, would say, 'It's not as simple as that ', so perhaps we could have an insight into the likes of scheduling, for the benefit of those of us who don't understand these sort of things?

yes one would think that hourly and half hourly would be priortised but i hear regular from WBBS drivers getting hammered on half hourly services when a bus goes missing.
last year i asked whether i could do the 12s 13s 126 at pensnett garage as i know the routes no big deal, but the  then WB manager said NO CHANCE, his attitude was just shite probably why hes no longer here while we have work open at WB , i replied i don't know the majority of the routes at WBBS except for 74/80  plus i hate it up there.

[2900]

in the age of computers dasweb etc why can't a driver on there day off work at another garage so long as he or she is type trained  on all relevant vehicles and other aspects of said garage its got to better than lost mileage one would think. 
i wonder now the black country terms and conditions has gone through and were singing from same hymn sheet will this help matters, only time will tell i guess. 
May be some one in the know could answer some of questions 

[j789]

Less frequent services should be prioritised if the journey time on the route is, say no more than 1 hour round trip. For longer routes like the x51, it is far more complicated to just take a bus of a frequent route and put it on there.

For example, if the x51 is a 3 hour round trip, and the bus has been taken off a route that was a 1 hour round trip, it means that the other service will now have a bus missing 3 consecutive trips which will no doubt inconvenience more passengers than the less frequent service missing only one trip.

We had this problem at First with the 144 to Birmingham, if a bus was missing off there it left a one hour gap in service but if you took the bus off local Worcester services to fill the 144 gap, you actually created much more disruption to other services than just 1 missing bus, particularly where inter working services were involved.

There is no easy answer here but perhaps with the x51 Walsall could at least run a short trip from Cannock to Walsall only so passengers could still change onto a 51 to Brum, and that way the extra bus wouldn't need to be running the whole route and so could maybe only need to be removed from another service for one round trip.

[Westy]

These are exactly the sort of answers I was looking for.

I knew it wouldn't be straightforward!

[Tony]

Less frequent services should be prioritised if the journey time on the route is, say no more than 1 hour round trip. For longer routes like the x51, it is far more complicated to just take a bus of a frequent route and put it on there.

For example, if the x51 is a 3 hour round trip, and the bus has been taken off a route that was a 1 hour round trip, it means that the other service will now have a bus missing 3 consecutive trips which will no doubt inconvenience more passengers than the less frequent service missing only one trip.

We had this problem at First with the 144 to Birmingham, if a bus was missing off there it left a one hour gap in service but if you took the bus off local Worcester services to fill the 144 gap, you actually created much more disruption to other services than just 1 missing bus, particularly where inter working services were involved.

There is no easy answer here but perhaps with the x51 Walsall could at least run a short trip from Cannock to Walsall only so passengers could still change onto a 51 to Brum, and that way the extra bus wouldn't need to be running the whole route and so could maybe only need to be removed from another service for one round trip.

You also have problems like the driver might not want to do a different route or finish at a different time. Every driver has the right to finish at the time of his scheduled duty, so swapping a driver may actually end up with that driver doing less work as the closest point to his finish time is an hour or so earlier so you end up with even more mileage deleted.

[Westy]

You never know when a topic is likely to be a go-er, so thanks to @Stu for making the decision to split off.

(For a bit of extra context, as it seems to have started mid conversation, start from post 5774 on the Walsall garage thread!)

[PB2938]

in the age of computers dasweb etc why can't a driver on there day off work at another garage so long as he or she is type trained  on all relevant vehicles and other aspects of said garage its got to better than lost mileage one would think.
i wonder now the black country terms and conditions has gone through and were singing from same hymn sheet will this help matters, only time will tell i guess.
May be some one in the know could answer some of questions

How short are WB . They have some drivers at WA on loan plus from Pensnett and Wolverhampton.  Also some WA school runs from WB

703 New Invention - St Thomas School 
705 Gullity Village Barr Beacon 

There are new drivers starting but they seem to be gone quick and the shortage doesn't seem to reduce.  5 start 6 leave in one week.

[Westy]

Just checked Facebook, & the post was suggested for me, as I have no normal reason for following them, but 'Blackpool Transport Services ' are experiencing serious problems due to staff shortage & sickness, which is more than mirrored around the country!

[Westy]

Good start to my sister's latest batch of night shift!

2011 Wa 9 from Walsall to Wolves, doesn't seem to be running.

What a surprise.

Hope the 2111 appears?

Edit @ 2110 - Looks like the bus that should have done it, 2141, has gone back to the depot, according to Bustimes.org!

Edit @ 2135 - Sister now booked a taxi to Wednesfield. Nothing against Wa 9 on Bustimes.org!

[WalsallBuses2007]

Good start to my sister's latest batch of night shift!

2011 Wa 9 from Walsall to Wolves, doesn't seem to be running.

What a surprise.

Hope the 2111 appears?

Edit @ 2110 - Looks like the bus that should have done it, 2141, has gone back to the depot, according to Bustimes.org!

Edit @ 2135 - Sister now booked a taxi to Wednesfield. Nothing against Wa 9 on Bustimes.org!

It seems 1893 has picked up the duty now

[Westy]

It seems 1893 has picked up the duty now

After a trip to Sutton Coldfield!

[Westy]

Good start to my sister's latest batch of night shift!

2011 Wa 9 from Walsall to Wolves, doesn't seem to be running.

What a surprise.

Hope the 2111 appears?

Edit @ 2110 - Looks like the bus that should have done it, 2141, has gone back to the depot, according to Bustimes.org!

Edit @ 2135 - Sister now booked a taxi to Wednesfield. Nothing against Wa 9 on Bustimes.org!

And repeat again tonight!

I'm guessing new drivers should take over those buses, but they're not turning up to take over, so next bus will be 2210, as it comes off a 6?

Just had a look at Monday 31/10 on Bustimes.org, & it was possible to operate the 2010 9 to Wolves, but not the 2110!

Edit- Looks like the 2210 hasn't appeared according to Bustimes.org, and I can't see any reference regarding the 6 it supposed to interwork with either !

[Ginger66]

Hopefully more joint services with Diamond as part of West Midlands Bus could solve issues as each others passes are allowed on relevant services.  

If I remember correctly the 40 was every 6/8 minutes prior to becoming part of West Midlands Bus so this means roughly 10 buses an hour.