Who's the best?

[CloudDriver]

Wondering what people's experience/opinions are on the topic of whos best to work for- pay/conditions etc.
North East region- Stagecoach, Arriva, Go North East.

 

[Geordie driver]

I know people who work for all 3 companies, my input is anecdotal at best but they all moan like chuff and wages seem similar in the North East as far as I am aware.

I do seem to have a bit of a downer on bus driving now, but I was talking to a mate yesterday and they are on 11.50 an hour and a guaranteed 40 hour week. To be fair, it's not just bus driving wages and conditions that have been hammered over the last few decades, it's most ordinary jobs near the bottom of the pile, most retail jobs now are just above minimum wage and zero hours contracts, she actually made bus driving sound attractive again.

My mate in London is on 22 quid an hour for overtime and never handles cash and little passenger interaction.

Not that I will be going back to it.

 

[CloudDriver]

Thanks for the reply.
Im just trying to get an overview really, quite difficult to find out what sort of pay/conditions the 3 are on, I know one pays less hourly but pays for breaks so this makes it higher. One says 38 hours then apparently you end with up with over 45.
I wish they would just be transparent, not that im interested in the money that much.

 

[Geordie driver]

Where abouts in the North East fo you want to work?

 

[Busaholic]

May I suggest you take a journey or three in the area concerned on different operators' buses and chat to the drivers, if at all possible. Not all will be communicative, but once they've established you're not a 'spy' you might be surprised at the candour. Alternatively (or as well) try and overhear staff conversations at bus stations, changeover points, etc. You'll get the general tenor e.g. if everyone you hear is moaning about their bosses.

 

[CloudDriver]

Newcastle, ye Ill do that

 

[notadriver]

Are you currently a bus driver at the moment ?

 

[CloudDriver]

No, just looking into it

 

[Geordie driver]

Newcastle has 2 big stagecoach depots, Byker and Sandyford, these has the best paying routes north of the Tyne, and the busiest routes, Arriva has a depot in Jesmond that mostly does north of Newcastle and some coast routes, go ahead has a depot in Gateshead that mainly does south on the Tyne, I think they still have a depot in Percy Main which does coast routes.

I did 20 years at Jesmond, the depot is up for sale so who knows how long it will be there? If it closed I imagine they will put the work out to Blyth, ashington and Morpeth, they won't open a new depot.

 

[notadriver]

For me it would be a combination of newest buses / routes and distance from home to depot. But I don’t like stopping every 2 seconds so it would be national express for me out of Gateshead (I think)

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Newcastle has 2 big stagecoach depots, Byker and Sandyford, these has the best paying routes north of the Tyne, and the busiest routes, Arriva has a depot in Jesmond that mostly does north of Newcastle and some coast routes, go ahead has a depot in Gateshead that mainly does south on the Tyne, I think they still have a depot in Percy Main which does coast routes.

I did 20 years at Jesmond, the depot is up for sale so who knows how long it will be there? If it closed I imagine they will put the work out to Blyth, ashington and Morpeth, they won't open a new depot.

Jesmond’s been for sale for a long time and the fascade being listed is a complication. They would have to open a new depot as Morpeth is closed and it’s more likely that Blyth will be amalgamated into Ashington if/when Blyth is redeveloped.

 

[Geordie driver]

Jesmond’s been for sale for a long time and the fascade being listed is a complication. They would have to open a new depot as Morpeth is closed and it’s more likely that Blyth will be amalgamated into Ashington if/when Blyth is redeveloped.

Blimey, I had no idea morpeth was closed! I was aware of the listed status of Jesmond but usually developers get their own way in the end, it's a very valuable bit of land in the right hands.

 

[cnjb8]

For me it would be a combination of newest buses / routes and distance from home to depot. But I don’t like stopping every 2 seconds so it would be national express for me out of Gateshead (I think)

GNE work NatEx out of Chester-le-Street

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Blimey, I had no idea morpeth was closed! I was aware of the listed status of Jesmond but usually developers get their own way in the end, it's a very valuable bit of land in the right hands.

Morpeth closed a lot of years ago. Got flats on it now.

Jesmond is listed so they'd have to keep the fascade whether the developer likes it or not. It's valuable and will doubtless be redeveloped in time but it's a complication nonetheless. If Arriva were to sell, they'd relocate as they have with Durham, Ashington and Redcar over recent years but can't see it happening too soon and they'd still need something in the area.

 

[Geordie driver]

Morpeth closed a lot of years ago. Got flats on it now.

Jesmond is listed so they'd have to keep the fascade whether the developer likes it or not. It's valuable and will doubtless be redeveloped in time but it's a complication nonetheless. If Arriva were to sell, they'd relocate as they have with Durham, Ashington and Redcar over recent years but can't see it happening too soon and they'd still need something in the area.

I discussed with my manager many years ago the idea of one big depot on Cramlington industrial estate, seemed to make sense to both of us.