Brylaine to suspend Saturday services

[Flange Squeal]

Brylaine have announced that they are suspending all services on Saturdays, having already reduced service levels, until the end of March (at the moment).

SERVICES | Brylaine

www.brylaine.co.uk

Saturday Bus Service Cancellations

01/01/2022 - 31/03/2022



It is with regret we inform our passengers, due to a significant reduction of drivers within our team and an extreme shortage of PCV drivers in Lincolnshire, we will be unable operate any Saturday bus services from the 01/01/2022 - 31/03/2022.



We had hoped to avoid this action taking intermediary steps on the 06/11/2021, adopting temporary reduced Saturday services. However, after further reductions in the team we find ourselves in the position whereby we must consider what is best for everyone in these exceptional circumstances.



This action is not in anyway taken lightly and we hope that it is temporary; it is a big decision for a local family business as we fully appreciate both the disruption and inconvenience it may cause to loyal passengers. It is being taken with our best intentions to ensure Brylaine are able to fully operate ALL SERVICE between Monday - Friday on the days they are most needed by the communities we serve.



All Monday to Friday daily commuter and education services will be unaffected by this action.



We want to ensure consistency for all passenger using our bus services during the week between Monday and Friday, so that they can be assured there will be no changes to their midweek service timetables.



The reason for such a purposeful response, is that we absolutely do not want to adopt a strategy of dropping services ad-hoc; on any given day due to available driver resources.



Many of our passengers are elderly or vulnerable or walk substantial distances to wait for hourly or half hourly services.



Many don't have access to digital or social media, many don't have bus shelters to wait in and as a rural operator, it is without doubt in the best interest of passengers to ensure they have clarity on what is and isn't available before setting off.



Clarity is key as we hope LCC will now step in and support our Saturday services with their own Teckle Company - Transport Connect and the funded Call Connect DRT services.



The bus driver shortage is a national issue escalated by the impact of HGV recruitment, online shopping delivery roles - with PCV drivers choosing less stressful employment options.



Heightened on-bus COVID responsibilities and passenger management have meant many are looking for alternative career options. Over the past 20 months they've had the opportunity to evaluate what's important to them being at the forefront and serving the public daily throughout. We absolutely support any decisions any have taken in theirs and their family's best interest.



Wage levels are of course a significant issue, it's a trained profession which requires multiple licences/ CPC's, elevated DBS clearances and holds a lot of daily personal responsibility for each driver.



Without regional funding and support for the operation of rural bus services; rural operators like ourselves simply cannot reach wage levels that compete with HGV, or indeed many of the local warehouse distribution operations and online delivery services, here in Lincolnshire.



Substantially increasing fares to meet the professional wage deficit is not an option, given we serve some of the lowest socio-economic and sparsely populated areas in the country, whilst also delivering some of the longest bus service routes.



On a more positive note, we have a fantastic team here and our driving team is and remains incredibly supportive and hard working. Our hope is to reintroduce Saturday services levels from 03/04/2022 and we are liaising closely with Lincolnshire County Council Transport Team on this timeframe.



We hope to be able to inform passenger shortly of any alternative timetabled Saturday operations put in place.



The following Saturday only timetables will be affected.



Boston Town IT1/2/5/6

Spalding Town IT1/IT2

A6 Horncastle - Boston

A8 Horncastle - Horncastle

IC7 Skegness Boston

B11 Spilsby - Boston

B13 Boston - Spalding

B15 Boston - Woodhall

IC5 Lincoln - Boston

G61 Boston - Fishtoft

K58 Boston - Kirton

K59 Boston - Spalding



Call Connect can be contacted for bookings on 0345 234 3344 to make a CallConnect on demand booking or book online https://bit.ly/3jBuMPg



Further Focus.

A driver training academy has now been created at Brylaine and we would welcome applications and interest from people who would like to consider PCV driving as a career step. It is a fantastic job, a job for life especially in the communities we serve. More information can be accessed via our website www.brylaine.co.uk/training or by emailing [email protected]



Marrianne Garbutt

Managing Director



Brylaine

291, London Road, Boston,

Lincs. PE21 7DD

 

[plebb11]

It’s a shame

 

[whoosh]

Well, that's an honest piece of writing about the various challenges the bus industry finds itself in at the moment.

 

[MotCO]

I'm not sure how

The bus driver shortage is a national issue escalated by the impact of HGV recruitment, online shopping delivery roles - with PCV drivers choosing less stressful employment options.

Heightened on-bus COVID responsibilities and passenger management have meant many are looking for alternative career options. Over the past 20 months they've had the opportunity to evaluate what's important to them being at the forefront and serving the public daily throughout.

willl attract new drivers

A driver training academy has now been created at Brylaine and we would welcome applications and interest from people who would like to consider PCV driving as a career step. It is a fantastic job, a job for life especially in the communities we serve. More information can be accessed via our website

I can understand the problems they are facing, but the juxtaposition of these statements may not be the wisest move

 

[PG]

Well, that's an honest piece of writing about the various challenges the bus industry finds itself in at the moment.

Frighteningly honest! If only it could reach the decision makers high enough up to make a difference

I can understand the problems they are facing, but the juxtaposition of these statements may not be the wisest move

Bus driving is really a vocation as well as a job, especially with a rural operator such as here.

I'd also question the wisdom of calling it "a job for life" as if things worsen then the buses may cease permanently leaving drivers with a sometimes considerable travelling distance to work if they decide to stay in the industry.

 

[RT4038]

Frighteningly honest! If only it could reach the decision makers high enough up to make a difference

I am not sure what you are expecting to happen 'to make a difference'? Sadly, I would expect that in the area that Brylaine operate, ordinary service buses are pretty much an irrelevance to most of the population. If they stop running completely it would hardly cause a ripple, except for the pensioners going shopping.
So, put on a return trip for them in the middle of a school bus duty, Monday to Friday only; should be able to get sufficient drivers for that sort of work and hours. Leave the rest to the taxi trade. Much like lots of the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa etc.
Be careful what you wish for!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I am not sure what you are expecting to happen 'to make a difference'? Sadly, I would expect that in the area that Brylaine operate, ordinary service buses are pretty much an irrelevance to most of the population. If they stop running completely it would hardly cause a ripple, except for the pensioners going shopping.
So, put on a return trip for them in the middle of a school bus duty, Monday to Friday only; should be able to get sufficient drivers for that sort of work and hours. Leave the rest to the taxi trade. Much like lots of the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa etc.
Be careful what you wish for!

Got to remember that many moons ago, Lincolnshire Road Car walked away from the area. Too few passengers, easy cycling territory, and a split between very poor people and very affluent people.

 

[CBlue]

Got to remember that many moons ago, Lincolnshire Road Car walked away from the area. Too few passengers, easy cycling territory, and a split between very poor people and very affluent people.

The area also has large expanses of nothing in between small towns and even smaller villages scattered across a wide area, so very difficult to balance journey times and passenger loadings.

 

[Titfield]

Citing some of the issues being a PCV driver ("Heightened on-bus COVID responsibilities and passenger management", "stressful employment") is hardly likely to encourage new recruits.

Surely far better to promote the benefits of being a PCV driver.

Sadly at the end of the day it may be that the bus industry has had its time outside of the main conurbations where there is either financial support or the revenue is sufficient to pay the drivers the sort of wage to make the role "attractive" to recruit and retain enough drivers.

 

[PG]

Frighteningly honest! If only it could reach the decision makers high enough up to make a difference

I am not sure what you are expecting to happen 'to make a difference'?

If these four points (below) could be highlighted to decision makers then funding might be forthcoming to the bus industry nationally.
Brylaine is but one operator, many others are in a similar position but haven't been as bluntly honest as Marrianne Garbutt.

The bus driver shortage is a national issue escalated by the impact of HGV recruitment, online shopping delivery roles

Wage levels are of course a significant issue,

Without regional funding and support for the operation of rural bus services; rural operators like ourselves simply cannot reach wage levels that compete with HGV, or indeed many of the local warehouse distribution operations and online delivery services,

Substantially increasing fares to meet the professional wage deficit is not an option,

 

[RT4038]

If these four points (below) could be highlighted to decision makers then funding might be forthcoming to the bus industry nationally.
Brylaine is but one operator, many others are in a similar position but haven't been as bluntly honest as Marrianne Garbutt.

I think it more likely that the bus industry is told to cut its cloth to run what it can, with the staff that it can attract for the wages it can afford.

In many rural parts of the country (Lincolnshire may have larger areas, but is not alone) this situation is replicated, although the staff shortage position may not be quite so acute due to the presence of closer larger urban areas that staff can be more easily recruited from.

 

[PG]

I think it more likely that the bus industry is told to cut its cloth to run what it can, with the staff that it can attract for the wages it can afford.

Yes, reluctantly I have to agree that that is what will happen

 

[Geordie driver]

Well, that's an honest piece of writing about the various challenges the bus industry finds itself in at the moment.

Indeed, it was nice to read something from an employer citing the realities of modern bus driving, instead of the happy clappy unrealistic "Buses monthly" level of reality generic information churned out by the big operators and repeated as gospel by the enthusiasts on hear, who have never driven a bus in service.

I'm not sure how



willl attract new drivers



I can understand the problems they are facing, but the juxtaposition of these statements may not be the wisest move

It's no good tempting drivers with half truths, were I local to this company I would give serious thought to working for them due to their honesty. Every weekend off too.

Frighteningly honest! If only it could reach the decision makers high enough up to make a difference


Bus driving is really a vocation as well as a job, especially with a rural operator such as here.

I'd also question the wisdom of calling it "a job for life" as if things worsen then the buses may cease permanently leaving drivers with a sometimes considerable travelling distance to work if they decide to stay in the industry.

Who knows where we are going in a post covid world, but the low wages/ amount of hassle ratio means anyone with a PSV ( showing my age there) can walk into a driving job. I have stopped telling people I have a full PCV licence as I am sick of being offered work.

Citing some of the issues being a PCV driver ("Heightened on-bus COVID responsibilities and passenger management", "stressful employment") is hardly likely to encourage new recruits.

Surely far better to promote the benefits of being a PCV driver.

Sadly at the end of the day it may be that the bus industry has had its time outside of the main conurbations where there is either financial support or the revenue is sufficient to pay the drivers the sort of wage to make the role "attractive" to recruit and retain enough drivers.

I am far more inclined to work for a company that is prepared to accept the reality of what working with the public is like, this will do thier staff retention no harm at all.

Mean while my former employer is still claiming drivers are being supported and mask laws/rules are being enforced. They can't tell you who is enforcing them.

Let's see how long this lasts, nothing I have typed is against the rules of this forum.

 

[Robertj21a]

Citing some of the issues being a PCV driver ("Heightened on-bus COVID responsibilities and passenger management", "stressful employment") is hardly likely to encourage new recruits.

Surely far better to promote the benefits of being a PCV driver.

Sadly at the end of the day it may be that the bus industry has had its time outside of the main conurbations where there is either financial support or the revenue is sufficient to pay the drivers the sort of wage to make the role "attractive" to recruit and retain enough drivers.

Interesting.

Just what would you say in favour of being a PCV driver ? - poor wages, poor hours, poor roads, passengers....

I'm interested in seeing all the positive aspects.

 

[mb88]

Company pays £10 an hour. Same company complains about being unable to recruit and retain drivers. It’s not rocket science.

 

[PG]

Company pays £10 an hour. Same company complains about being unable to recruit and retain drivers. It’s not rocket science.

Plenty of other jobs at similar wage levels e.g. care work which coincidentally the government has recently accepted as an occupation struggling with recruitment!
Social care: Immigration rules to be relaxed to recruit staff

 

[Titfield]

Interesting.

Just what would you say in favour of being a PCV driver ? - poor wages, poor hours, poor roads, passengers....

I'm interested in seeing all the positive aspects.

A very good question.

I am not sure how "appealing" some of these factors are but for some possibly the routine nature of the work might suit, the meeting people, that with the decline of sunday services that sunday work may be infrequent.

I really do not know but some of the parcel delivery operations seem to put drivers under a great deal of pressure.

Ultimately increasing the wage rate seems to be the only realistic answer though I recognise that may not be financially possible.

 

[RT4038]

Company pays £10 an hour. Same company complains about being unable to recruit and retain drivers. It’s not rocket science.

To be fair, the company does allude to the rocket science of increasing revenue (or the inability to do so) to pay for increased drivers wages. Perhaps you have the answer to that one....?

 

[Robertj21a]

To be fair, the company does allude to the rocket science of increasing revenue (or the inability to do so) to pay for increased drivers wages. Perhaps you have the answer to that one....?

It must be very difficult to do much more in Brylaine's area - very remote in parts, low population density, high [fairly essential?] car use. I guess many of their drivers would struggle to find other 'better' work as it's an area heavily devoted to field crops etc.

 

[RT4038]

It must be very difficult to do much more in Brylaine's area - very remote in parts, low population density, high [fairly essential?] car use. I guess many of their drivers would struggle to find other 'better' work as it's an area heavily devoted to field crops etc.

No town big enough to have a profitable town service (distances too short - many walk instead). I suspect traditionally wage rates on both passenger and goods have been low, with passenger offering better hours. With shortages on goods (and additional driving jobs created by parcel delivery) wage rates have increased, with haulage rates increasing too, but this is not really an option on passenger.

 

[overthewater]

I doubt it helps them competing against Stagecoach on Skegness - Boston - Spalding route? AKA Stagecoach 57.

 

[Robertj21a]

I doubt it helps them competing against Stagecoach on Skegness - Boston - Spalding route? AKA Stagecoach 57.

Aren't both only hourly, over a longish distance?. Not likely to be massively profitable.