Nottingham 'Bus War'

[MCR247]

That page is very specific to Pronto though (even talks about topping up Megariders). I dont know whether Ticketer have a "touch off" option and there seem to be a lot more Mango cards that would need replacing than Genie.

Init, the company who supply the existing Trent (plus Kinch and NET Trams) machines, do have a contactless option which they supplied to National Express WM.

Init also supply Nottingham City Transport so I'm assuming the wider roll out will be using Init's contactless option

 

[edwin_m]

Trentbarton accept the Robin Hood card - doesn't that mean they are ITSO compatible already?

 

[Observer]

That page is very specific to Pronto though (even talks about topping up Megariders). I dont know whether Ticketer have a "touch off" option and there seem to be a lot more Mango cards that would need replacing than Genie.

If an operator wants a feature Ticketer will get it implemented, they have been known to be very accommodating and flexible with what operators are looking for.

 

[Deerfold]

CT4N have announced they’ll be the new operator of the 18 from the 1st October.

I was surprised to see they're running it entirely commercially.

It always seems odd that a bus company can go from running a bus service up to 18 hours a day with a reasonable frequency and then suddenly decide it's not worth running anything at all.

 

[ag51ruk]

Trentbarton accept the Robin Hood card - doesn't that mean they are ITSO compatible already?

They are - original models weren't but they were upgraded to accept ENCTS cards. The original poster linked to a page on the TB website with a picture of a Ticketer machine, which possibly wouldn't accept Mango cards. Looks like TB have installed Stagecoach machines on their Pronto buses.

 

[Megafuss]

I was surprised to see they're running it entirely commercially.

It always seems odd that a bus company can go from running a bus service up to 18 hours a day with a reasonable frequency and then suddenly decide it's not worth running anything at all.

The 18 has been on life support for ages. TB have been using Solos to keep costs down. The Tram has resulted in a reduced number of customers that can only really use the 18. So these sort of difficult decisions are inevitable

At least CT4N are giving it a go. Although the role of Community Transport operations in normal bus services is a bone of contention in the industry.

 

[Pigalle]

A customer on Trentbarton Facebook asked if it was true strike action was planned for August - the page confirmed it wasn't but that there WAS a POSSIBILITY of Industrial Action at the company in September.

Been told that this relates to Nottingham dept.

 

[Pigalle]

They are - original models weren't but they were upgraded to accept ENCTS cards. The original poster linked to a page on the TB website with a picture of a Ticketer machine, which possibly wouldn't accept Mango cards. Looks like TB have installed Stagecoach machines on their Pronto buses.

Should make it interesting when a ‘spare’ bus is sent out, something that must be a relatively frequent occurrence judging by other Trent Barton routes.

 

[Pigalle]

Been told that this relates to Nottingham dept.

Now confirmed by Trent Barton:

“The union Unite has announced 4 days of planned industrial action on consecutive Mondays – 10 September, 17 September and 24 September & 1 October. Unfortunately, on these dates, we won’t be able to run some services, while others will have a limited service.

The routes affected by the industrial action are:

• calverton connection
• the cotgrave
• i4
• indigo
• the keyworth
• mainline
• my15
• rushcliffe villager
• skylink Clifton
• skylink Nottingham
• 18

All other services are unaffected and will run a normal timetable.

Please click here to see a full map of affected services.

Unfortunately, we won’t be able to confirm the level of disruption in advance. Our priority during the industrial action is to keep you informed and on the move. On each day of industrial action, we will be providing live updates throughout the day from 6.30am on our website and Twitter – please follow @trentbartonland

We will also have our stars at the stop at key interchanges to help update customers.

If you need any help planning your travel during the industrial action dates please get in touch with our customer services team.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this industrial action. Please be rest assured that our teams will be working hard to limit the impact of any disruption.”

Taken from Trent Barton e-mail received earlier today.

 

[43055]

Well I want expecting that. I wonder why it is the Nottingham depot and then 1 route out of Sutton and 1 out of Langley Mill?

 

[Pigalle]

Well I want expecting that. I wonder why it is the Nottingham depot and then 1 route out of Sutton and 1 out of Langley Mill?

Apparently it is only Barton’s that has voted for industrial action so far. Presumably those two routes employ staff on Barton’s contracts rather than Trent ones.

 

[Robertj21a]

So much for being 'The Really Good Bus Company'.

 

[ag51ruk]

So much for being 'The Really Good Bus Company'.

I don't know the reason for the strike, but I don't see how their slogan and some of their drivers taking industrial action are mutually exclusive?

Edited to add: a Google search shows they have turned down a 2.5% pay offer, as have their colleagues employed by Trent but no action proposed there yet. It's up to them whether they accept an offer but that is the same as the average rise in UK earnings in the last 3 months so doesn't seem particularly out of line.

 

[Pigalle]

From: https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/eastmidlands/news/2017671-trentbarton-drivers-strike-poverty-pay

Trentbarton drivers to strike over ‘poverty pay’

News
September 03 2018

• Sam Metcalf

Trentbarton, the East Midlands bus company, is at loggerheads with the the UK’s largest union and is facing strike action, it has emerged.

The Unite union says its members at Trentbarton will strike next Monday (10 September) because some bus drivers in Nottingham and Derbyshire have had to resort to food banks to augment their low wages.

Unite said that 160 drivers working for Trentbarton, part of the Wellglade Group, are planning a day of strike action after rejecting a 2.5 per cent pay offer for the year April 2018 – April 2019.

Unite has called on the management to negotiate in a positive way as further strikes are planned for 17 and 24 September and into October and November, after the workers had voted by 70 per cent for strike action.

Unite said that the firm had “muddied the waters” by including the statutory one per cent auto-enrolment pension contribution in the offer to make it appear that the offer is 3.5 per cent, when the union said that the auto-enrolment issue should be decoupled from annual pay.

The same pay offer to 450 Unite members at another subsidiary, Trent Motor Traction Company, was also overwhelmingly rejected and this could trigger an industrial action ballot.

Unite regional officer Scott Lennon said: “We are calling on the management to get around the table and negotiate in a constructive fashion to achieve a fair pay deal for our members.

“Our 160 drivers working from depots at Nottingham, Mansfield and Heanor in Derbyshire voted by 70 per cent to strike next Monday (10 September) and on other dates in the autumn over pay.

“This dispute could well escalate as fellow workers at Trent Motor Traction Company have also rejected this dismal pay offer.

“I appreciate that this industrial action will cause problems for the travelling public, but our members’ wages are lagging behind as the cost of living soars.

“The drivers have seen reductions in their shifts and potential earning capacity cut drastically. Our members are living hand to mouth and some are even having to use food banks, which is a disgrace for a dedicated workforce in 2018.

“We have been informed of at least five cases of our members who have had to resort to food banks to augment their poverty pay.”

In response, Trentbarton said that it will keep passengers informed should the strike action take place.

In a statement, the firm said: “Depending on the number of the Unite member drivers who refuse to work their shifts, services within Nottinghamshire and into and out of the county may be affected. On each day of industrial action, services will be assessed and some will have to be reluctantly cancelled or run at a reduced frequency.

“Trentbarton has prepared contingency plans aimed at running as many services at the highest frequency that it can.”

 

[Andyh82]

So much for being 'The Really Good Bus Company'.

I do find this forum quite odd sometimes

Half the threads are complaining about the likes of First and Arriva doing everything in the blandest plainest way possible whilst managing decline and doing nothing remotely exciting

The other half are threads complaining about the likes of Trent Barton and Transdev Blazefield making a fuss about their operations and eagerly waiting to point out imperfections

 

[tbtc]

I do find this forum quite odd sometimes

Half the threads are complaining about the likes of First and Arriva doing everything in the blandest plainest way possible whilst managing decline and doing nothing remotely exciting

The other half are threads complaining about the likes of Trent Barton and Transdev Blazefield making a fuss about their operations and eagerly waiting to point out imperfections

I'm in complete agreement - the contrary nature of a lot of enthusiasts means they are desperate to pick up on any perceived imperfection of a well regarded bus company - because we must find a reason to moan about companies that "normals" think is a successful company.

TrentBarton seem to be about as good as it gets but their imperfections are scrutinised to the n-th degree.

There's similarities with Virgin Trains (and their "Arrive Awesome" strapline) - how dare they have a positive advertising campaign to encourage other people to use public transport?

You're right to mention Transdev Blazefield too - they try to run a professional operation in Harrogate but it's much more fun for people to be on the side of the underdog (Connexxions) than appreciate a well run company.

 

[Robertj21a]

I do find this forum quite odd sometimes

Half the threads are complaining about the likes of First and Arriva doing everything in the blandest plainest way possible whilst managing decline and doing nothing remotely exciting

The other half are threads complaining about the likes of Trent Barton and Transdev Blazefield making a fuss about their operations and eagerly waiting to point out imperfections

Fair enough, but it was only intended as a slightly amusing comment. Clearly not received as such, even though I don't think I've ever made any adverse comment before about Trentbarton.

Even so, it could be argued that maintaining such a blatant strapline is asking for trouble when your well respected quality staff have to resort to strike action.

 

[Andyh82]

Fair enough, but it was only intended as a slightly amusing comment. Clearly not received as such, even though I don't think I've ever made any adverse comment before about Trentbarton.

Even so, it could be argued that maintaining such a blatant strapline is asking for trouble when your well respected quality staff have to resort to strike action.

It wasn’t necessarily aimed at you, but the many posts that say similar in threads like this all the time.

 

[Mugby]

Yourbus Y5 should do quite well on the next four Mondays!

I wonder if they're geared up for running any duplicates!

 

[goldisgood]

All good bus companies will occasionally be not so good - there's a difference between the companies that often have bad things pointed out (Arriva, First etc) and the better companies who people seem to find every little bad thing about (Trent Barton, Transdev Blazefield etc). No company is perfect and that all companies will have problems no matter how good they are. The less problems, the better a company is. The route I use has only had 3 or 4 no shows and I'm in the 4th year of using it daily - I use the same bus in both directions, and due to extreme traffic some days it has been delayed over an hour inbound. The company (Stagecoach) have, when it has been really badly delayed, substituted another bus onto the route to help make up time (note that this route has only about 5 minutes layover at one end of the route, and none at the other). The other issues have been due to road closures due to accidents, which are inevitable.
The point I suppose I'm trying to make is that no company is perfect, but the ones that are better make an effort. Companies that often show up late (or don't show up) with poor fleet presentation are generally worse than companies with a clean fleet, good communication and showing up on time. I know this is slightly off topic, but it had to be said.

Yourbus Y5 should do quite well on the next four Mondays!

I wonder if they're geared up for running any duplicates!

I have a feeling they might be as they had the 6 MMCs recently? It could depend on driver availability too.

 

[Ginga]

Nct profits up to March 2018 down to £1.9m .pretty bad for a company with what 340 buses? Dunn motor traction made £1.6m profit. Kinchbus £2m with 37? Buses.

 

[43055]

Nct profits up to March 2018 down to £1.9m .pretty bad for a company with what 340 buses? Dunn motor traction made £1.6m profit. Kinchbus £2m with 37? Buses.

I'm surprised your bus has made that much as when as most of the time I see them they only have about 1 or 2 people on but I know the rush hour 1/1a ones can get full which might compensate for the daytime journeys.

 

[derbybusdepot]

Trent barton are being very quiet about the upcoming strike action. Hopefully the can find a resolution sooner rather than later.

Arriva are making cut backs in Derby in October. Evening service on 5 and 5a circulars axed after 8pm. This will cut off the Sunnyhill area and the hospital after this time. Each route currently operates hourly. You would think an hourly 5e service could be attempted first?

Route 4 will no longer serve pride park and ride in the evenings and sundays, so no use to anyone who wishes to stay in Derby later than 6pm.

The evening Sapphire 38 service is also being reduced to hourly.

On yourbus, it is strongly rumoured they are to acquire some coaches for use on schools from October.

 

[Pigalle]

Trent barton are being very quiet about the upcoming strike action. Hopefully the can find a resolution sooner rather than later.

While I would expect talks to be going on in the background, I suspect there is a degree of inevitability about the first strike next Monday as both sides will learn how solid the action is and, as such, it will undoubtedly affect future negotiations. Don’t forget this action only relates to Barton’s staff, balloting of Trent staff for industrial action is apparently also currently taking place.

 

[ag51ruk]

There is a statement from the company on their website - extract below. I have no idea whether the hourly rates quoted are competitive with other local bus companies

https://www.trentbarton.co.uk/news-and-media/our-news/article/statementonindustrialaction

"trentbarton has a track record of improving pay for its teams year on year. For the past 11 years in total, Barton Buses Ltd drivers have received pay rises better than the rate of inflation.

I’m shocked Unite has described our competitive wages as ‘poverty pay’.

The majority of the Barton Buses team are on an hourly wage of £11.51 per hour with a guarantee of 39 hours per week.

Our starting hourly wage is £9.34, with rises during the first two or three years of employment. All rates are significantly ahead of the National Living Wage (£7.83) and the ‘Real Living Wage’ (£8.75).

Our teams also have the opportunity to volunteer for overtime, and those driving late night services earn £14.99 per hour."

 

[nottinghamcity]

Looking at TB's online updates the strike seems to be having a minimal impact on the service

 

[Robertj21a]

Looking at TB's online updates the strike seems to be having a minimal impact on the service

I wonder how many actually went on strike.

 

[Bwsbro]

I’ve just had a look on the Trentbarton timetables for the Skylink express. It is now shown as Skylink Clifton instead. Is this service still operated by ex Redarrow coaches or has it been downgraded to Bus operation.

Thanks

 

[Robertj21a]

I’ve just had a look on the Trentbarton timetables for the Skylink express. It is now shown as Skylink Clifton instead. Is this service still operated by ex Redarrow coaches or has it been downgraded to Bus operation.

Thanks

Elderly Scanias nowadays.

 

[ashworth]

Looking at TB's online updates the strike seems to be having a minimal impact on the service

According to BBC East Midlands TV during the local news bulletins this morning during Breakfast News, despite the threat of strike action, Trent Barton were running a full service on all routes.