INSIDE TRACK
What’s fascinating about all that is going on in the bus industry at present is how little is being written about it – no real detail about what’s really happening.
Driver shortages continue, with one investigation seeing a 10% national shortfall with significant regional variations. While the absolute shortage may be reducing, increased levels of sickness mean no real improvement in availability. The shortfall, and the resultant service cancellations, are affecting the numbers of passengers carried, and the long-term effect on patronage will be significant.
Many service reductions are more because of driver shortage than reduced revenue, although it’s impossible to decide whether it’s the long term Covid effect or unreliability that is the prime cause. The significant cuts made by Stagecoach in certain areas are clearly driver related. In most cases they appear not to have bid for tendered replacements, preferring to conserve drivers for the remaining network, which makes sense. In many cases private operators seem to find the drivers which the big groups seem unable to source. Perhaps more local operating centres and family friendly operating arrangements have helped?
Does this point…
