COMMENT
First of all, I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who attended Buses Festival this year. It was great to have the opportunity to speak with so many of you, and to hear such positive feedback about the magazine. I hope you all had a good time at event, particularly as we were fortunate enough to have one of the best summer days of the year. I have to say I particularly enjoyed Leon Daniel OBE’s insightful presentation and the warbird flypast we were able to secure this year. I hope to see you all again next year on September 1.
A curious press release arrived in my inbox this month from Adventure Travel. In the wake of the discount retailer Wilko entering administration in early August (B&M agreed to buy 51 of the company’s stores almost a month later) the operator directed a recruitment drive at the firm’s staff, offering to hire them as bus drivers.
Over recent years, many operators have said they can train anyone to drive a bus, but not every driver can provide good customer service. It is clear from the passenger perspective articles and reader letters I receive that this trait is not consistent in bus drivers, and those with excellent customer service skills (or the reverse) make a lasting impression.
