It's an issue in any public facing role at the minute across quite a few industries. The public are generally unpleasant to deal with and complain about anything without actually thinking about it. Even if I could drive it's certainly not something I'd consider for that reason alone
It still boils my blood when I think of the way many public services are treated poorly today, not just buses, but also the way a few bus passengers can react to something there not happy about and only a few of those unhappy people can create a domino effect on a bus service, more specifically the people driving the buses.
the NHS is something people certainly wouldn’t want to lose but by all means buses are disposable in regards to the way the public have shifted massively regarding public transport in general, not just due to covid.
Low morale in these bus depots is problematically the reason you have had people leave the industry.
I say this, about 1-2 weeks ago I went to an interview with Lothian for joining the “country” drivers, I oddly wasn’t successful, driven buses for years and trucks, 13 years experience driving and I’ve constantly been wondering why I was refused a position, moving on..
It seems that there is a middle ground which many company’s can’t seem to find, one company does not have great standard, for example, First Larburt/bannockburn but then you have Lothian who seemingly need everything to be “almost” perfect.
Lothian have succeeded in limiting the damage in the way it operates and treats its staff, but they also have an ageing group of drivers that will dry up eventually then where does that leave them? Are standard of drivers slipping? Including myself? Or is it simply most firms look to have an element of control that many workers disregard because the worker simply refuses to acknowledge that there doing a bad job on the companies terms?
Drivers should be able to go to work, drive a decently maintained & well equipped vehicle but First, at least in Scotland seem to lack any great imagination, initiative or attention about how there workers themselves envision said company & therefore who is willing to stick around.
If these companies could rearrange the way they operate from the core of the business..that’s the only way it will change for the better..
