The timing certainly couldn't be any worse. However, as PCB have the buses and have recruited staff I don't see how it would be possible to just continue with existing arrangements.
Who’s going to run it instead? First have changed commitments so who is to say they still have the resource to run their lost tenders?
I doubt they have the desire either as why should First bail out the council who chose to give the tendered work to another operator. Someone needs to hold the council accountable for this huge waste of public money running stupid new services. They set themselves objectives that they have no hope in hell of ever achieving and they should be forced to own up to the fact they misled everyone. This highlights perfectly how terrible an idea it is for the government to fund improvements this way. Its clear the government have no clue on buses as this debarcle and Buses for Sheffield clearly shows.
The reality is the current situation is perfect in many ways. Ther was always going to be a bit of a disruption, now there's an expectation that everything in life will be disrupted and any problems can be blamed on the Coronavirus situation. Numbers of bus users are already down and predicted to dip even more so uncovered journeys are not going to be the issue they would have been and, on services that don't exist now, they can just pre-announce that they're cancelled until the outbreak is over to help with the national situation.
I realise that the 5 can take deckers - seen a W-DWX B7 on there before and short Darts 425** on the 16. However, was wondering what was supposed to be operating it in this new world.
The route 5 has a double decker on it at 3pm as this is the bus used after the 251 college run and used to go to newlyn before returning on the 251 to the lizard
Undoubtedly some of the around 100 E200MMCs.
Now you've gone and done it for free! Stakeholders and common purpose is also good to try and appear as if you're not claiming all the glory!
Surely these are not Euro V, or are they temporary?
I think they are just on loan but I'm not certain
I suspect your hunch may be right
It's difficult to turn a Renault Clio in Newlyn, as I should know! Why I've always refused to consider living in Newlyn, even when my wife was heavily involved with Newlyn Art Gallery.
Have PCB managed to recruit the staff? I was only going by what's been said on here about lack of transfer from First and advertising for bus drivers in N.E. England etc. Mind you, if there are bar and restaurant staff with PCV licences
TfC would also be badly hit and largely disappear from many parts of the county before they have even started, such as Falmouth and be reduced pretty much all overHave PCB managed to recruit the staff? I was only going by what's been said on here about lack of transfer from First and advertising for bus drivers in N.E. England etc. Mind you, if there are bar and restaurant staff with PCV licences
Transport for Greater Manchester have announced Sunday bus services seven days a week from next week, and Transport for London Saturday or Sunday services, which tend not to be very different from each other on most of their routes. All-week Sunday services in Cornwall would, of course, see the virtual disappearance of First. Interesting times, but methinks we could sometimes do with less interest and more certainties.
P.S. Delete the TfGM bit - they apparently were misinformed. Stagecoach there are introducing a 'special service' which will mix Saturday and Sunday frequencies and timings according to route.
No I am of the view both from the FK and GCB point are already advanced. Some bus allocations are in place already and induction of drivers to gcb done. If it is a slow start it won't be a bad thing as any teething issues can be ironed out. But it maybe a problem for FK since the climate may badly affect viability of the commercial services.
Indeed but those were Thomas Cook staff (aircrew) becoming traincrew not becoming train drivers.
True, but the path to becoming a bus driver is more direct and accessible to many more people then a train driver, in that situation if an employer is offering you well paid jobs, you're gonna be interested
Think you missed my point. Transferring is not as straight forward as becoming train crew. Not least having a driving license and then getting a PCV pass.
I think you have to remember that the acceptance on First Kernow was a concession agreed by First on a commercial basis which is in my opinion generous to a fault. I believe a similar concession is the case from pcb for Callywith campus buses although of course to date this has been of limited value. But it has I understand at times led to overcrowded buses on the 27 with Truro college students leaving early and getting the 27 rather than the college contracts. So inter availability of tickets issued for college students is probably not a feature of the commercial arrangement and unless the tickets were issued via Cornwall Council would not be the case. That said it would be sensible for future for such inter availability to be advanced, it does however depend on operator willingness to cooperate and initially it will depend on the survival of operators, which is a big ask in this current climate. The stock market possibly gives a clue as to the view of the city as yo the survival rate of the operators in this sector
But if a company is offering positions and training then you are going to consider it, no matter what the job is, GWR offered Thomas Cook staff the jobs as they knew the skills they had to offer
Certainly was, had to give up finding a job in retail after I left College
