1st Bus To Strike Over Xmas

[Iowsaintsfan]

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/3974746.Bus_drivers_in_Christmas_strikes/

[Weston Super Saint]

Not sure I understand the reasons why...

 

It says in the article they only get a 10 minute paid break, but they can have 45 minutes, of which presumably 35 will be unpaid :smt102

 

I think the working time regulations reduced all workers to 20 minutes per 6 hours worked, so an 8 hour shift = 20 minutes. Not sure there is any legal obligation for breaks to be paid for by the company - it certainly seems standard in my industry that they aren't....

 

However, I appreciate there are different regulations for 'drivers', not sure exactly what they are though....

 

Another example of public transport holding the public to ransom :smt102 Still, I suppose the cabbies will be happy

[Iowsaintsfan]

PCV Driving regulations

 

After four and a half hours driving, a driver must take a break of at least 45 minutes. The break is a period during which the driver may not perform other work and is exclusively used for recuperation. This break may be split into smaller periods and distributed throughout the 41/2 hour. In this case, the first period must be at lest 15 minutes, and the second period must be at least 30 minutes.

[Calvin]

BlueStar are going to be on a new high after hearing this news.

It's going to boost their buses in terms of passengers by quite a high percentage..

 

 

I do agree with First though. the drivers should get a longer break, as it's very little. But it's going to effect the company in general as they dont attract as many passengers, like they used to back in 2000. If the drivers win their strike, First are going to have to fork out some money in hiring new drivers, or even getting agencies to help them out if they lack drivers, or even cut some of their services. That is how the longer breaks will effect the service, that is why the bosses of First are quite scared to extend the breaks for drivers.

Edited 13 December, 2008 by Calvin

[Rattlehead]

I certainly can't recall a bus striking before now. And over the Christmas period? Selfish b*stard.

Edited 14 December, 2008 by Rattlehead

[hamster]

I reckon that as it could be argued that the 'break' is to ensure passenger safety, it should all be paid.

 

Good luck to them.

 

Having said that, a vast majority of them are miserable sods, not like the good old days when they could wear Santa outfits.

[St Landrew]

... it's going to effect the company in general as they dont attract as many passengers, like they used to back in 2000.

 

I hear bus passenger traffic is up by an average of 7% in Southampton, and on some routes by 20%. Source is the Daily Echo from our Southampton City Forum. Go look, as I can't be bothered.

 

It's boom time for bus companies, don't you know.

[Patrick Bateman]

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/3974746.Bus_drivers_in_Christmas_strikes/

 

Having read the article and basing my facts only on what I've read; it would appear to me that the MD needs to do a "back to the floor" week.

 

It seems that the routes are not well enough planned to allow time to cash up and rest between them which means the drivers probably do have a basis to complain.

There is obviously a requirement for some analysis of how they all work and interact and then a process that needs fixing/amending or even to be created. I love business transformation ...

Edited 14 December, 2008 by Patrick Bateman
Rushed spelling etc.

[Calvin]

I hear bus passenger traffic is up by an average of 7% in Southampton, and on some routes by 20%. Source is the Daily Echo from our Southampton City Forum. Go look, as I can't be bothered.

 

It's boom time for bus companies, don't you know.

 

Dont try and be sarcastic with me.

It was a serious point.

 

So what the passenger traffic has raised. The buses just dont get full up. I remember years ago, back in the year 2000, the buses were full up some of the time and was hardly empty. they had quite a big drop in passengers. but now we have a 'credit crunch', buses seem to attract passengers again as it can work out cheaper than driving, or using other transports, such as taxis and trains

 

Boom time.. Christmas time

Then a strike around christmas will really hurt the First companies general profits. Will just be another gain for BlueStar.

People nowadays just drive cars.. but now a sudden rise.

[Iowsaintsfan]

I hear bus passenger traffic is up by an average of 7% in Southampton, and on some routes by 20%. Source is the Daily Echo from our Southampton City Forum. Go look, as I can't be bothered.

 

It's boom time for bus companies, don't you know.

 

The main reason for that is the free bus travel for over 60;s anywhere in England! wait until everyones council tax goes up to pay for it! :mad:

[hamster]

Will just be another gain for BlueStar.

Only for the duration of the strike though.

Punters use buses for convenience and nothing more nothing less IMO.

 

I do not know anyone who jumps on a particular bus for any other reason, that it is going to the stop nearest to they're destination.

 

Pardon the cliché but buses are 'like buses', and another one will be along in a minute.

The strike is aimed at focussing the managements attention on the people who actually earn the money that pays they're wages, and the thankless task that they undertake to do so.

 

Bloody good luck to them, I only wish more people would stand shoulder to shoulder to demonstrate to worthless penpushing clockwatchers that without frontline staff, they wouldn't even have a bloody job. Far too many managers nowadays IMO.

[Calvin]

Only for the duration of the strike though.

Punters use buses for convenience and nothing more nothing less IMO.

 

I do not know anyone who jumps on a particular bus for any other reason, that it is going to the stop nearest to they're destination.

 

 

 

The reason why it will be Blue Stars gain because they will gain more passengers, meaning more bus passes will be bought from former First passenger.

I use the bus myself but nowadays I dont. I would much rather walk instead. but as this strike will disrupt First Passenger, it will mean that they turn to Blue Star as bus passes are cheaper and also it will appeal to these passengers.

 

Believe me, there is some really fussy bus passengers out there.

if I had to get the bus everyday to work, I for one would be seriously ****ed off.

[hamster]

/\

Appreciate that, but once the strike is over, it will be back to catching the most apprpriate bus for your journey. I reckon that most people who get the Number 2 from town to Eastleigh, although hacked off, will still get the Number 2 after the strike. Bad example if the Number 2 is a Blue Star, but the fact that I do not know who runs that route proves my point.

[Calvin]

/\

Appreciate that, but once the strike is over, it will be back to catching the most apprpriate bus for your journey. I reckon that most people who get the Number 2 from town to Eastleigh, although hacked off, will still get the Number 2 after the strike. Bad example if the Number 2 is a Blue Star, but the fact that I do not know who runs that route proves my point.

 

Very true.

To be fair, I was relating my point to the central route (Bitterne way) Service number 18.

 

 

The woolston route will be the same as only First runs through that route.

But the central route, it will effect First as the passengers will move on to Blue Star (The pass holding people) because of this disruption. and they will realise that its cheaper and better.

 

Bus passengers are very stressy people

[hamster]

Very true.

....First as the passengers will move on to Blue Star (The pass holding people) because of this disruption. and they will realise that its cheaper and better.

Take your point, as I too was only thinking of my local routes.

 

Yours is much like the Shirley to Town routes, where they're is a bus every couple of minutes. Customers will pile onto the Blue Star ones durong the dispute. Maybe some will consider the price saving, but on the other hand, they will be packed and people may decide that they just want the first bus that comes along.

 

These bus users, bloody plastic customers I tell ya. Come that Man U game, they will claw back a few quid anyway. Unless of course it escalates and the drivers decide to strike on the day of the BIG game!

[Calvin]

These bus users, bloody plastic customers I tell ya. Come that Man U game, they will claw back a few quid anyway. Unless of course it escalates and the drivers decide to strike on the day of the BIG game!

 

[Iowsaintsfan]

Very true.

 

 

Bus passengers are very stressy people

 

Couldnt agree more :smt119

[chrisobee]

Yes, just great :

 

Monday 22nd December

 

10.00am Leave Watford and lug my bags a mile to Watford Met Line

12.30 or therabouts Arrive at Victoria Coach Station

1.00 Board coach ( hopefully)

3.35 Arrive in Southampton and just want to get home to Regents Park from Central Station ASAP and there may be no buses !! Not happy at all

[Saint Stimp]

I hate public transport...

[Ponty]

Ever?

[ozzmeister]

Who actually takes a bus these days anyway? For round town car or walking is sufficiet, in major toens (London/Paris) there is the underground.

 

Why would I want to stand in the ****ing rain and cold waiting for something which will only be late anyway!!

[Saint Mikey]

Yes, just great :

 

Monday 22nd December

 

10.00am Leave Watford and lug my bags a mile to Watford Met Line

12.30 or therabouts Arrive at Victoria Coach Station

1.00 Board coach ( hopefully)

3.35 Arrive in Southampton and just want to get home to Regents Park from Central Station ASAP and there may be no buses !! Not happy at all

 

Jog it in - rest when you get there...

[Weston Super Saint]

Yes, just great :

 

Monday 22nd December

 

10.00am Leave Watford and lug my bags a mile to Watford Met Line

12.30 or therabouts Arrive at Victoria Coach Station

1.00 Board coach ( hopefully)

3.35 Arrive in Southampton and just want to get home to Regents Park from Central Station ASAP and there may be no buses !! Not happy at all

 

http://www.southampton-taxis.co.uk/?gclid=CKSS1-6BxZcCFYsh3godyBxYTA

[Master Bates]

Yes, just great :

 

Monday 22nd December

 

10.00am Leave Watford and lug my bags a mile to Watford Met Line

12.30 or therabouts Arrive at Victoria Coach Station

1.00 Board coach ( hopefully)

3.35 Arrive in Southampton and just want to get home to Regents Park from Central Station ASAP and there may be no buses !! Not happy at all

 

Central station to Regents Park is only about £5 by taxi, and if you're lucky, you might end up waking up in the taxi with more money than you started with and a sore a5s.

[bungle]

The main reason for that is the free bus travel for over 60;s anywhere in England! wait until everyones council tax goes up to pay for it! :mad:

 

Wouldn't be an issue if central Government had given local Council's a proper settlement. Instead they have shafted local Council's into either a) having to raise Council Tax or b) cutting other services to pay for this government initiative.

[Weston Super Saint]

Wouldn't be an issue if central Government had given local Council's a proper settlement. Instead they have shafted local Council's into either a) having to raise Council Tax or b) cutting other services to pay for this government initiative.

 

But, hang on a minute....

 

Haven't the over 60's ALWAYS had free travel - granted they were limited to their particular 'region' where they could use the buses before, but now they can use the bus no matter what region they are in.

 

Simply put, the number of over 60's hasn't been increased dramatically by the Government or anyone else. I doubt very much that they are travelling out of their original 'region' much anyway, so has the amount of over 60's taking advantage of this initiative really increased, or is it just an excuse used by the bus companies for poor / inadequate service, or an excuse for local councils to increase council tax???

[bungle]

But, hang on a minute....

 

Haven't the over 60's ALWAYS had free travel - granted they were limited to their particular 'region' where they could use the buses before, but now they can use the bus no matter what region they are in.

 

Simply put, the number of over 60's hasn't been increased dramatically by the Government or anyone else. I doubt very much that they are travelling out of their original 'region' much anyway, so has the amount of over 60's taking advantage of this initiative really increased, or is it just an excuse used by the bus companies for poor / inadequate service, or an excuse for local councils to increase council tax???

 

Nope, you are totally wrong.

 

When this came in a couple of years ago it was just in the region, but last year it was made national. The original settlement was poor, but of course you could only notice that after a year of take up.

[Weston Super Saint]

Nope, you are totally wrong.

 

When this came in a couple of years ago it was just in the region, but last year it was made national. The original settlement was poor, but of course you could only notice that after a year of take up.

 

So over 60's haven't ALWAYS had free bus travel / bus passes?

[bridge too far]

So over 60's haven't ALWAYS had free bus travel / bus passes?

 

Until a couple of years ago, the over 60s could travel free in their District Council area only. Now, they can travel free all over the country (but only at off-peak times, I think).

 

The Councils have received government funding for this.

[Master Bates]

Until a couple of years ago, the over 60s could travel free in their District Council area only. Now, they can travel free all over the country (but only at off-peak times, I think).

 

The Councils have received government funding for this.

 

Bet you can't wait til your next birthday then.

[bungle]

So over 60's haven't ALWAYS had free bus travel / bus passes?

 

In some places, but not in all. For example, note this change in 2006:

 

http://www.ringwood.gov.uk/Local_Services/Public-Transport/News/Free-bus-travel-for-over-60s-and-disabled.html

[bungle]

Also, LGA figures on Council shortfalls due to Government underfunding of national scheme:

 

http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/core/page.do?pageId=278865

[Guest Dark Sotonic Mills]

Who actually takes a bus these days anyway? For round town car or walking is sufficiet, in major toens (London/Paris) there is the underground.

 

Why would I want to stand in the ****ing rain and cold waiting for something which will only be late anyway!!

 

I live about 4 miles or so outside Winchester which is too far to walk on a night out. I have a bus stop within yards and an hourly (at evenings) service which is very reliable. A taxi into town is £10 and one back after 11 is £20 or so, hence I use the bus.

 

Also the last bus from Southampton to my place is 03.15 and costs £3, so I would be mad to use anything else.

[CabbageFace]

If you have to use a bus because you are so poor then its your own fault.

[Jillyanne]

I live about 4 miles or so outside Winchester which is too far to walk on a night out. I have a bus stop within yards and an hourly (at evenings) service which is very reliable. A taxi into town is £10 and one back after 11 is £20 or so, hence I use the bus.

 

Also the last bus from Southampton to my place is 03.15 and costs £3, so I would be mad to use anything else.

 

You are too old to be going on nights out.

[Weston Super Saint]

Until a couple of years ago, the over 60s could travel free in their District Council area only. Now, they can travel free all over the country (but only at off-peak times, I think).

 

The Councils have received government funding for this.

 

Which brings me nicely all the way back to my original question : How many over 60's [on average] use the buses outside their District Council these days - even though they can travel any where in the whole country?

[bungle]

Which brings me nicely all the way back to my original question : How many over 60's [on average] use the buses outside their District Council these days - even though they can travel any where in the whole country?

 

I'll direct you to my figures provided by the LGA.

 

As an anecdote, when I was watching Poole speedway up at Swindon last year I met this old guy from Bournemouth who had travelled up on the bus.

 

It turned out he travelled the country by bus and sometimes coach watching cricket, speedway and boxing (he had travelled to Birmingham for an Amir Khan fight specifically to see a Bournemouth boxer who was on the undercard!). I thought that was pretty awesome.

 

Anyway, I think the answer to how many people is going to be a darn lot more than you think. I mean, people going from Ringwood to Bournemouth will be entering a different county. As will people going Bath to Bristol. How many examples like that do you think there are across the country? A fair few I reckon. And that's without people maybe travelling for an hour to go to a different big town/city.

[Weston Super Saint]

I'll direct you to my figures provided by the LGA.

 

As an anecdote, when I was watching Poole speedway up at Swindon last year I met this old guy from Bournemouth who had travelled up on the bus.

 

It turned out he travelled the country by bus and sometimes coach watching cricket, speedway and boxing (he had travelled to Birmingham for an Amir Khan fight specifically to see a Bournemouth boxer who was on the undercard!). I thought that was pretty awesome.

 

Anyway, I think the answer to how many people is going to be a darn lot more than you think. I mean, people going from Ringwood to Bournemouth will be entering a different county. As will people going Bath to Bristol. How many examples like that do you think there are across the country? A fair few I reckon. And that's without people maybe travelling for an hour to go to a different big town/city.

 

But the point is those people would have used the bus anyway!!

 

It doesn't really matter which region / county they are in, they would have used the bus to get around, so it's not really costing any more for them to cross a regional boundary.

 

The guy travelling the country by bus I guess would be the exception rather than the rule....

[bungle]

But the point is those people would have used the bus anyway!!

 

It doesn't really matter which region / county they are in, they would have used the bus to get around, so it's not really costing any more for them to cross a regional boundary.

 

The guy travelling the country by bus I guess would be the exception rather than the rule....

 

When he or she crossed the regional boundary before the national bus pass, they would have had to have paid for that journey.

 

Now they don't have to. Also, the journey is paid IN FULL by the local authority where that journey began, regardless of it it goes through 1, 2 or 17 different areas.

 

And, once again, I refer you to the figures provided by the LGA.

[Weston Super Saint]

When he or she crossed the regional boundary before the national bus pass, they would have had to have paid for that journey.

 

Now they don't have to. Also, the journey is paid IN FULL by the local authority where that journey began, regardless of it it goes through 1, 2 or 17 different areas.

 

And, once again, I refer you to the figures provided by the LGA.

 

So, I really can't see what the fuss is about!!

 

If a pensioner goes from Bournemouth to Blackpool, then Bournemouth pays for it.

 

But that's fine isn't it, because the pensioner lives in Bournemouth, pays council tax, and thus effectively pays their own way!

 

Working on the same premise that what goes up must come down, that pensioner will [more than likely] travel back from Blackpool to Bournemouth, and Blackpool will pay for it.

 

But that's OK too isn't it? Surely that pensioner will not have done nothing while in Blackpool, so will probably have bought some goods, maybe visited a Restaurant and bought food, thus contributing to the local businesses of Blackpool, who will all have paid Business rates to Blackpool council, so the pensioner will effectively have paid their own way again.....

 

I know what you're saying Bungle, but I really don't see that the problem is as bad as some of those councils make out. Take Brighton for example with it's higher than average bus charge bill in the summer - from your LGA figures, which conveniently don't point out that while Brighton will have a higher cost in the summer months, it's costs will be significantly reduced in the Winter when no-one goes to visit - but that is by the by, because while more tourists are visiting, the local council is earning more money isn't it??

[Iowsaintsfan]

So, I really can't see what the fuss is about!!

 

If a pensioner goes from Bournemouth to Blackpool, then Bournemouth pays for it.

 

But that's fine isn't it, because the pensioner lives in Bournemouth, pays council tax, and thus effectively pays their own way!

 

Working on the same premise that what goes up must come down, that pensioner will [more than likely] travel back from Blackpool to Bournemouth, and Blackpool will pay for it.

 

But that's OK too isn't it? Surely that pensioner will not have done nothing while in Blackpool, so will probably have bought some goods, maybe visited a Restaurant and bought food, thus contributing to the local businesses of Blackpool, who will all have paid Business rates to Blackpool council, so the pensioner will effectively have paid their own way again.....

 

I know what you're saying Bungle, but I really don't see that the problem is as bad as some of those councils make out. Take Brighton for example with it's higher than average bus charge bill in the summer - from your LGA figures, which conveniently don't point out that while Brighton will have a higher cost in the summer months, it's costs will be significantly reduced in the Winter when no-one goes to visit - but that is by the by, because while more tourists are visiting, the local council is earning more money isn't it??

 

 

In theory yes that’s how its meant to work though in reality many bus firms have no way of recording where the pass was issued and charge the local authority. Due to the Hampshire isle of wight etc being popular for short breaks etc its counties like these which will be hardest hit.

IMO all travel should be recorded regardless where they originated and be bill direct to the government not the local authorities.

Since free travel has come in on the IOW (previously half price for over 60) pensioners will gladly sit on a bus 20 mins go round "the loop" and get off the other side of the road!!! its unbelievable, and i wouldn’t believe it either if i hadn’t witnessed it myself but this is a daily occurrence.

[Weston Super Saint]

Since free travel has come in on the IOW (previously half price for over 60) pensioners will gladly sit on a bus 20 mins go round "the loop" and get off the other side of the road!!! its unbelievable, and i wouldn’t believe it either if i hadn’t witnessed it myself but this is a daily occurrence.

 

LOL.

 

But to be fair, the bus was going round the 'loop' anyway, so it's not like it cost the bus company / environment any more money.

 

In fact the only people to get anything out of this situation is the bus company claiming the fare from the council and the pensioner getting the free ride!!

[Master Bates]

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/3988552.Last_ditch_attempt_to_avert_bus_strikes/