East Yorkshire Motor Services, now part of Go-Ahead

[Mollman]

The Lid Dem council were elected on this policy in May 2022 and gained in the recent 2023 local elections so it's what the Hull electorate wanted, as per the 65% who responded in favour of the survey.

EYMS have cut the services by around 40% so can't expect to keep their own road lane for most of the day.

Whilst there has been a reduction in frequency from both operators, there are still large numbers of buses on the core corridors where the main bus lanes are (Spring Bank, Bev Rd, Holderness Rd). Any reduction in hours will likely increase unreliability and journey times making bus less attractive.

 

[3RDGEN]

Where does the figure of 40% come from? I was told by a senior member of management we are running about 80% of pre Covid mileage

X55 has gone, 151/2/3/4 reduced from 6 to 4 an hour with 151 gone & 152 cut back to Anlaby, 54/56/57 from 3 to 2ph, 66 is ever 20 minutes, was it 10 or 15 previously? 25 cut to 2 hourly Beverley - Hessle, didn't they also cut Hull - Hornsea frequency?

128 is 2 hourly vice hourly.

Mileage maybe 80% due to the extra Hull - York services or the York Locals for example but within the Hull area the number of bus services must be 35-40% down. Not surprised as lack of passengers / drivers means the services would be cut, as they are nationally, but the requirement for bus lanes also reduces with reduced buses. (Stagecoach have also reduce frequencies).

 

[Eyersey468]

Any idea what is happening with 814? It’s been parked at the back of the railway car park for almost 2 months now

Regarding 814, word is its having engine trouble

 

[RM-Taylor]

Regarding 814, word is its having engine trouble

Thank you for the update.

See 345/6/7 have finally been sold on, currently being repainted for training buses ahead of their transfers down south

 

[sbrignall72]

Thank you for the update.

See 345/6/7 have finally been sold on, currently being repainted for training buses ahead of their transfers down south

Who has bought them

 

[RM-Taylor]

Who has bought them

345 going to Brighton & Hove
346 not sure
347 going to Bournemouth, I think Transpora

 

[RM-Taylor]

814 is now back on the road.

Only a handful of vehicles remain in the old livery now:

698 will be sold or converted for training

714 will probably be done last as it was the last vehicle to receive old livery work in the paintshop

738 I believe is now at Anlaby Road and will be painted next as 763 has been completed

756 will be done when the advertisement is finished

759, 766, 767, 772, 773, 774, 775, 808, 811 and 815

 

[Eyersey468]

345-7 are all going to Brighton. 738 is currently in paint shop with 767 in body shop

 

[Hullian111]

Withernsea EastRider 803's engine - a B5TL, I might add for the folk who remembers Transdev's B5TL fires! - went slightly bang last Saturday night:

Double-decker bus catches fire on east Hull route

The incident happened at around 9pm on Saturday

www.hulldailymail.co.uk

A double-decker bus had to come to a stop when its engine caught fire on an east Hull route.

The EYMS bus was in Southcoates Lane at the time. Firefighters were called to make the bus safe.

It happened at the junction with Preston Road, outside a row of shops including Today's convenience store East Hull Pizzas. Humberside Fire and Rescue Service was called at around 9pm on Saturday.

The fire service said the small fire in the engine compartment was already out when crews arrived. A hose reel and small tools were used. Batteries were disconnected.

The incident rounded off a busy night for city fire crews, who were called to , near Stoneferry, which sent clouds of black smoke towering over Hull. Four fire engines were required to subdue the flames.

Tracker proof below that lines up with the article:

0803 - BP66 VLF

Volvo B5TL MCV EvoSeti

bustimes.org

 

[Eyersey468]

Withernsea EastRider 803's engine - a B5TL, I might add for the folk who remembers Transdev's B5TL fires! - went slightly bang last Saturday night:

Double-decker bus catches fire on east Hull route

The incident happened at around 9pm on Saturday

www.hulldailymail.co.uk

Tracker proof below that lines up with the article:

0803 - BP66 VLF

Volvo B5TL MCV EvoSeti

bustimes.org

It was in the depot having been recovered when we got back late Saturday night, it didn't appear that badly damaged from what I could see

 

[Eyersey468]

Electric Volvo BV72 KPF is on loan

 

[Hullian111]

Electric Volvo BV72 KPF is on loan

Allegedly at Anlaby Road to be trialled on Route 66 next week. Actual investment for the route after half the buses got taken to Scarborough? So hyped!

Have to wonder, though, how EY have managed to fit some chargers in. I thought the general word was that Anlaby Road wasn't suitable for electric vehicles? Is it just storage space for banks of chargers or something like that?

 

[Eyersey468]

Allegedly at Anlaby Road to be trialled on Route 66 next week. Actual investment for the route after half the buses got taken to Scarborough? So hyped!

Have to wonder, though, how EY have managed to fit some chargers in. I thought the general word was that Anlaby Road wasn't suitable for electric vehicles? Is it just storage space for banks of chargers or something like that?

Yes the word was/is that Anlaby Road isn't suitable for electric vehicles, I don't know how they are charging it on a night

 

[BoroAndy]

Allegedly at Anlaby Road to be trialled on Route 66 next week. Actual investment for the route after half the buses got taken to Scarborough? So hyped!

Have to wonder, though, how EY have managed to fit some chargers in. I thought the general word was that Anlaby Road wasn't suitable for electric vehicles? Is it just storage space for banks of chargers or something like that?

What buses to Scarborough?

Yes the word was/is that Anlaby Road isn't suitable for electric vehicles, I don't know how they are charging it on a night

Surely just one charger needed initially

 

[Hullian111]

What buses to Scarborough?

The original 66-branded E200s which were brought in when the route got rebranded back in 2019. If I remember correctly, they're 378/379/380 and 389 - all now up in Scarborough with revised blue branding for the Scarborough Park and Ride. Which only leaves B9TL E400s 722/723 branded for the 66, looking rather careworn now nearly five years on.

 

[Mollman]

Yes the word was/is that Anlaby Road isn't suitable for electric vehicles, I don't know how they are charging it on a night

Could they have a charger at the Interchange instead?

 

[Eyersey468]

It turns out the BZL came with its own charger.

In other news, 767 and 774 are in paint shop with 394 in body shop

 

[185102]

767 is now in a very eye-catching pride livery too.

I also understand that 394 is going back onto Fleet livery and 396 is going on the 350 as it is now known, especially after Stagecoach have come up with a hybrid route brand.

 

[Delenn]

The new Scarborough depot has passed planning.

New ‘mega depot’ for buses in Scarborough approved by North Yorkshire Council

A new ‘mega depot’ for buses will be established on an industrial estate in Scarborough following the council’s approval of the plans.

www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk

New ‘mega depot’ for buses in Scarborough approved by council

A new ‘mega depot’ for buses will be established on an industrial estate in Scarborough following the council’s approval of the plans.

The formation of a large depot with parking for 72 buses as well as workshops, offices, and provision for battery energy storage systems has been given the green light.

It follows an announcement earlier this year from East Yorkshire Buses that it plans on combining both its existing depots on Barry’s Lane and Westwood by mid-2024.

The construction of the depot on Taylor Way, off Seamer Carr Road, was approved by North Yorkshire Council on Thursday, July 27 with construction work hoped to begin this summer and expected to last for 12 months.

The building itself will measure 45 metres in width, 21 metres in depth and the plan includes the associated development of substations, fuel tanks, and bin stores.

The roof will have solar panels and roof lights incorporated whilst the north and south of the building will have five roller shutter doors on each side to allow the movement of vehicles within the building,

An external canopy is proposed on the west elevation of the building to house a wash area and fueling point for buses.

The Seamer and Crossgates Parish Council, the Highway Authority, and Yorkshire Water had no objections to the plan.

The council’s ecologist also had no objections subject to the inclusion of conditions stipulating the creation of a detailed “environmental management plan”.

The ecologist also noted that the bus depot’s creation would lead to “a net loss of river units due to the removal of the ditch from the site” which could be compensated with “a suitable off-site location or through an offsetting contribution”.

However, planning officers said that as biodiversity net gain will not be a mandatory requirement until November 2023, it would not be able “to secure such a contribution”.

Only one comment was received from a member of the public, a local resident who walks to work to Manor Garth next to the site, who asked that “insufficient lighting” on nearby footpaths be fixed in light of increased traffic.

The depot will also include a battery energy storage system, which will be located on the eastern part of the site and is designed to provide a “rapid response electricity supply when requested by the National Grid” with a plan to also develop greater reliance on electric buses.

The planning authority concluded that the design of the building is functional for its requirements as a bus depot and is “in keeping with other buildings within the locality” on Scarborough Business Park.

The plan was approved, subject to conditions, on Thursday, July 27.

 

[Eyersey468]

A sad update. One of the fitters was killed in a car crash at Burton Pidsea over the weekend.

 

[BoroAndy]

What's the latest position on liveries? Plus, as Scarborough is getting a brand new depot, will this include many charging points and will that imply EVs are soo on the way to the Northern outpost?

 

[Eyersey468]

Most of what's been going through body and paint shop recently has been stuff for other Go Ahead companies. Yes the new depot at Scarborough will be set up to have electric buses.

 

[Russel]

Most of what's been going through body and paint shop recently has been stuff for other Go Ahead companies. Yes the new depot at Scarborough will be set up to have electric buses.

Which other Go Ahead companies, just out of interest? Just Go North East and West or others too?

 

[Eyersey468]

Which other Go Ahead companies, just out of interest? Just Go North East and West or others too?

Brighton and Hove and Carousel

 

[Russel]

Brighton and Hove and Carousel

Long way to go for a coat of paint

 

[185102]

East Yorkshire have announced some service improvements to the 55/361 route courtesy of the BSIP funding.

Service Changes from Sunday 5th November 2023

Service Changes from Sunday, 5th November 2023.

www.eastyorkshirebuses.co.uk

Quite surprising is the addition of the 361 however, hopefully it will be utilised and also it means Elloughton depot will now work Sundays it works out as one in 7 I believe and the Friday/Saturday night late services work out as 1 in 17 for the drivers so not a massive amount of extra work.

 

[175mph]

East Yorkshire have announced some service improvements to the 55/361 route courtesy of the BSIP funding.

Service Changes from Sunday 5th November 2023

Service Changes from Sunday, 5th November 2023.

www.eastyorkshirebuses.co.uk

Quite surprising is the addition of the 361 however, hopefully it will be utilised and also it means Elloughton depot will now work Sundays it works out as one in 7 I believe and the Friday/Saturday night late services work out as 1 in 17 for the drivers so not a massive amount of extra work.

The addition of the 361 on Sundays is a boost for North Lincolnshire and Scunthorpe, especially seeing as there are currently no Sunday buses in North Lincolnshire west of Scunthorpe.

 

[Eyersey468]

There will be another uplift in service in January, presumably extra vehicles will be getting sourced from somewhere. Part of the uplift is from extra BSIP funding.

 

[3RDGEN]

Need to source some extra drivers too, cancellations everyday bar Sundays around Hull, "Due to staffing shortages and other factors outside of our control, we're currently experiencing short-notice cancellations." as EYMS put it.

Does anyone know what happens to the drivers you see training everyday Mon-Friday, do they fail the test, leave shortly after starting or is driver turnover that large? I know they lost drivers during Covid and then presumably more to the road haulage companies but they must have caught up by now?

 

[M803UYA]

Need to source some extra drivers too, cancellations everyday bar Sundays around Hull, "Due to staffing shortages and other factors outside of our control, we're currently experiencing short-notice cancellations." as EYMS put it.

Does anyone know what happens to the drivers you see training everyday Mon-Friday, do they fail the test, leave shortly after starting or is driver turnover that large? I know they lost drivers during Covid and then presumably more to the road haulage companies but they must have caught up by now?

I'm surmising here (going off experience so no I don't have precise numbers) but the fall out rate from initial application to passing the test is quite high. Not all who get assessed enter the training school and of those, not all who enter the school pass their tests.

Out of those who pass, a number leave quickly as they discover shift work/the management/the passengers/our delightful fellow road users aren't for them. Out of those who leave a bus company driver training school, some end up going private and passing their tests with additional tuition. It was how I passed my test, and a close friend trained with his local bus company, failed the test three times, had his Dad fund the next few attempts privately and he's been driving buses for 24.5 years now! Nerves can play a large part in whether you pass or fail a driving test. In my friend's case, he had the ability when he was taking the test, but was nervous.

The normal method of beating this problem from a company's perspective is to continually recruit new drivers to replace those leaving. The problem is that the drivers leave faster than the new ones come on stream. Delays in drivers getting their provisional licences from DVLA will have an impact there.

I've said before, pay isn't the main reason bus drivers leave their jobs - a lot is down to how they're managed. And a managerial attitude transplant could be cheaper than an inflation busting pay rise.