That's because drivers are still leaving. Yes, drivers come through the academy but within a few weeks the rot sets in. I had 13 years at Livingston. It's never going to improve; £12.95 an hour is just not good enough and shifts, from what I'm told, are still poor. As for flexible working...
Have they said the main reason for it this time (i.e. lack of staff or lack of working vehicles)?
Surely it has to be the former this time? Especially given all of the vehicles that Livingston has picked up recently. More cuts aren’t an option now so recruitment is key for McGill’s.
And this after we were assured the full timetable would operate. How can the travelling public have any faith in the current operator?
The situation at McGill's Livingston, in my opinion, can only get worse. £12.95 is not going to cut it as far as recruitment is concerned. Lothian Country pay more and are in wage negotiations at the moment, so the gap will only increase. The fact that you have stated that you did 13yrs, and I assume you have left, says it all. The amount of agency drivers is also a huge concern, when they find out the crap they have to take from the travelling public, allied to, crap shifts, and lets face it at the moment, the same shoddy vehicles, then there is no wonder there is a shortage of staff and more cancellations. I think McGill's Eastern Scottish are a basket case, and can only get worse. It doesn't matter that the owners have deep pockets, they will not throw money at an operation that is, in my opinion, not worth investing in. It would help the situation meantime, if they concentrated purely on West Lothian routes, instead of running buses into Edinburgh, which would free up drivers, allowing them to provide the service they said they would provide. They are pulling buses on services where there is no alternative, leaving passengers with no service, which is totally unacceptable. This is my opinion, and I have no allegiance to any company, so don't expect anyone jumping all over it.
Totally agree, unfortunately the losers are the passengers and the drivers.
and Ralph Roberts has posted this photo of 3356 and 3331: https://twitter.com/NoConceptOfTime/status/1666450812086767621/photo/1
They (Citaro's 3356 & 3331) also suit this one (livery)
If buses are not on the road, they'll be sitting around at the depot. Any ongoing maintenance still has to be carried out, including repaints.
2235 never came east in the first place. Dont believe bustimes gen though unless its edited by an employee as its not accurate
It's the chap that withdrew eclipses because he was "told my management" that they were. Half of them ran a couple days later.
Why did 2235 not come over.
Considering Alex Hornby had absolutely no involvement in the transfer and repainting of buses from MSW to MSE, that’s just a pointless comment!
Yes, they all had Euro6 upgrades.
Ok, thanks
Yes, quite often hear the fans roaring on them
Will be 3331, 60 has not entered service yet. (Source: close friend works at Bannockburn.)
It was tracking as 3360 on the app too. I had to check that as I didn't catch the fleet number.
The app and bustimes use the exact same data source so it doesn't matter which one you use, if a vehicle is tracking incorrectly on one it'll be tracking incorrectly on the other.
I know. The app being wrong doesn't surprise me to be honest. It seems to take a while to be correct with new vehicles into service too.
