Craig of Campbeltown (T/A Glasgow Citybus) Optare Solo SR
Driver shortage…
One of the best examples of the driver shortages impacting the bus industry is encapsulated by this picture here. Here is a SPT-supplied Optare Solo waiting time to make its next journey on the supported 59-service between Mosspark and Glasgow City Centre. SPT owns the vehicle as well as similar vehicles and leases them to various operators for use on its supported services. It allows the services to be run by a uniform standard of vehicle and SPT can use its purchasing power by ordering larger quantities of buses - at a better discount - than the individual bus companies could by themselves. If you order one bus, you’ll maybe get a discount. If you order 20, you’ll get a bigger one.
But back to the shortage. You’ll notice that this bus, 53759 (YJ16DXH) carries First decals. That’s because the service is operated by First Glasgow. But the legal lettering is for Craig of Campbeltown and is run by drivers from its Glasgow Citybus subsidiary. It runs as part of the First network in the city, First passes are accepted and to all extents and purposes it looks like First run it. However due to driver shortages, First has subcontracted operation of this to Glasgow Citybus.
Driver shortages are an endemic issue across the industry, leading to shortages and lost journeys. Despite companies offering large incentives to new recruits, recruiting new drivers is challenging. Together with staff shortages due to COVID its leading to frustrated passengers and pressure on the industry, which is fuelling demands for re-regulation.
So what’s behind it? There’s various reasons. The pandemic was a factor. Recruitment and training stopped dead during it and some say the industry has struggled to catch up. Normal turnover, as employees leaving were not replaced, became skewed as no new replacements arrived to take their place. That’s common across other industries too.
Brexit too is a factor. With the ending of freedom of movement across the European Union, many former EU citizens elected to return home. Many were bus drivers who left during lockdown periods and never came back or elected not to apply to stay in the United Kingdom. Here is not the place to debate the merits of Brexit but it’s clear it has had an impact.
With shortages of other types of drivers in other industries such as lorry drivers, many bus drivers have left to work for better paid jobs driving lorries. And who could blame them? Pay in the industry has always been an issue and it’s only now that pay seems to be getting addressed, albeit in some cases as a result of industrial action.
However one issue affecting bus driving is that it’s not seen as a ‘sexy’ job. Indeed it’s far from it - it’s bloody hard graft. So it doesn’t appeal. The industry is trying all it can. It’s trying to recruit more female and younger drivers into what is traditionally is seen as a older male dominated industry. But it can only do so much and unless the recruitment improves companies are facing real problems and service cuts are a real threat.
Craig of Campbeltown (T/A Glasgow Citybus) Optare Solo SR
Driver shortage…
One of the best examples of the driver shortages impacting the bus industry is encapsulated by this picture here. Here is a SPT-supplied Optare Solo waiting time to make its next journey on the supported 59-service between Mosspark and Glasgow City Centre. SPT owns the vehicle as well as similar vehicles and leases them to various operators for use on its supported services. It allows the services to be run by a uniform standard of vehicle and SPT can use its purchasing power by ordering larger quantities of buses - at a better discount - than the individual bus companies could by themselves. If you order one bus, you’ll maybe get a discount. If you order 20, you’ll get a bigger one.
But back to the shortage. You’ll notice that this bus, 53759 (YJ16DXH) carries First decals. That’s because the service is operated by First Glasgow. But the legal lettering is for Craig of Campbeltown and is run by drivers from its Glasgow Citybus subsidiary. It runs as part of the First network in the city, First passes are accepted and to all extents and purposes it looks like First run it. However due to driver shortages, First has subcontracted operation of this to Glasgow Citybus.
Driver shortages are an endemic issue across the industry, leading to shortages and lost journeys. Despite companies offering large incentives to new recruits, recruiting new drivers is challenging. Together with staff shortages due to COVID its leading to frustrated passengers and pressure on the industry, which is fuelling demands for re-regulation.
So what’s behind it? There’s various reasons. The pandemic was a factor. Recruitment and training stopped dead during it and some say the industry has struggled to catch up. Normal turnover, as employees leaving were not replaced, became skewed as no new replacements arrived to take their place. That’s common across other industries too.
Brexit too is a factor. With the ending of freedom of movement across the European Union, many former EU citizens elected to return home. Many were bus drivers who left during lockdown periods and never came back or elected not to apply to stay in the United Kingdom. Here is not the place to debate the merits of Brexit but it’s clear it has had an impact.
With shortages of other types of drivers in other industries such as lorry drivers, many bus drivers have left to work for better paid jobs driving lorries. And who could blame them? Pay in the industry has always been an issue and it’s only now that pay seems to be getting addressed, albeit in some cases as a result of industrial action.
However one issue affecting bus driving is that it’s not seen as a ‘sexy’ job. Indeed it’s far from it - it’s bloody hard graft. So it doesn’t appeal. The industry is trying all it can. It’s trying to recruit more female and younger drivers into what is traditionally is seen as a older male dominated industry. But it can only do so much and unless the recruitment improves companies are facing real problems and service cuts are a real threat.