Bus Vannin in Crisis

[Numbnuts]

9 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

Going back to this FoI and the fall-out from it, I've just realised that the information was already available in a Written Question reply to Watterson which had been published (again on the last possible date) on 15 July.  He asked a slightly different question:  If he will provide a breakdown of bus cancellations by route over the last ten weeks? which meant the TT cancellations are in longer-term context.  The resulting table is interesting:

So rather than TT Week having no cancellations and all the stops being pulled out to provide a full service, it was actually the worst week of the Summer on all the different routes.  With the weeks after and before as runners-up.

It also shows that the Facebook complaints are right and the South routes do suffer more cancellations, even allowing for more buses on the routes (3 an hour for the South compared to 2 each for Coast and West and a combined 3 for Inner Douglas).

TT week across the board was really bad though. Either Milky Quayle does more than his share or the zero contract etc took it off. And Tim Crookall must have been asleep not to know of these cancellations or he's a liar . 

Edited August 9, 2022 by Numbnuts

[Bandits]

2 hours ago, Wavey Davey said:

Callister: Has anyone contacted the DOI, because this bus driver dispute needs to be resolved..

Its the first time I’ve heard it called a ‘dispute’ and not ‘staff shortages’ 

It’s not too dissimilar to this to be honest 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-62469126

Are we seeing unofficial industrial action using sickness, and other mechanisms to deliberately restrict services? Do they think it is an organized dispute? 

[Non-Believer]

2 minutes ago, Numbnuts said:

TT week across the board was really bad though. Either Milky Quayle does more than his share or the zero contract etc took it off. And Tim Crookall must have been asleep not to know of these cancellations or he's a liar . 

Or he's been blatantly lied to and isn't incisively cynical enough to even question what he was being told.

Probably just as well he was moved and since resigned.

 

[Roger Mexico]

On 7/30/2022 at 5:50 PM, Max Power said:

I was told that there were twelve double deckers with smashed upstairs windows sitting at Banks Circus awaiting repairs!

Well Mr Speaker has clearly heard similar because he asked a Written Question that was published on Friday[1]:  How many bus windows have been replaced and at what cost in the last 12 months; and of these, how many were caused by lack of maintenance on trees adjacent to the highway.

The answer was:

In the last 12 months, 21 separate incidents have been recorded and attributed to tree strikes, these including all glass and mirror damage.

The cost of repairs attributed to these incidents is currently approximately £11,000.00. There are also two vehicles currently away at a specialist repairer for assessment, but these repair costs are not yet known.

Impacts generally occur through driver error or extended or lower branches, these generally appearing after prolonged periods of poor weather and rain.  In these scenarios colleagues within Highways Division are alerted at the earliest opportunity to areas of concern and these areas are cut back as soon as is reasonably practicable.

 

[1]  I don't know if this is the effect of Chris Thomas taking over, but DoI seem to have stopped the policy of answering all questions on the last possible day.

[Numbnuts]

21 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

Well Mr Speaker has clearly heard similar because he asked a Written Question that was published on Friday[1]:  How many bus windows have been replaced and at what cost in the last 12 months; and of these, how many were caused by lack of maintenance on trees adjacent to the highway.

The answer was:

In the last 12 months, 21 separate incidents have been recorded and attributed to tree strikes, these including all glass and mirror damage.

The cost of repairs attributed to these incidents is currently approximately £11,000.00. There are also two vehicles currently away at a specialist repairer for assessment, but these repair costs are not yet known.

Impacts generally occur through driver error or extended or lower branches, these generally appearing after prolonged periods of poor weather and rain.  In these scenarios colleagues within Highways Division are alerted at the earliest opportunity to areas of concern and these areas are cut back as soon as is reasonably practicable.

 

[1]  I don't know if this is the effect of Chris Thomas taking over, but DoI seem to have stopped the policy of answering all questions on the last possible day.

I've a friend driving on a zero hour contract and he's lost 3 wing mirrors to Promenade  poles . As they pull in to stops its a problem as the signs are not sited very well.  

Edited August 9, 2022 by Numbnuts

[Non-Believer]

£11,000 would have paid for a lot of man-hours with chainsaws.

Plus whatever the downtime of the buses is costing.

ETA. But as can be read in the statement, colleagues are alerted "after" a tree strike. It's all reactive, no proactivity at all. You might think somebody would be out looking at these things on a regular basis?

Edited August 9, 2022 by Non-Believer
extra bit

[tuono]

19 minutes ago, Numbnuts said:

I've a friend driving on a zero hour contract and he's lost 3 wing mirrors to Promenade  poles . As they pull in to stops its a problem as the signs are not sited very well.  

That’s just carelessness 

[Kopek]

1 hour ago, Numbnuts said:

nd he's lost 3 wing mirrors to Promenade  poles . As they pull in to stops its a problem as the signs are not sited very well.  

When do buses ever pull into the layby ??? Specsavers???

[BriT]

Fear not the minute all the tourists have gone and the kids are back to school the service will be back to normal.

https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/driver-shortage-continues-to-blight-bus-service-559382

Which begs the question what are the buses actually for? 

[Roger Mexico]

33 minutes ago, BriT said:

Fear not the minute all the tourists have gone and the kids are back to school the service will be back to normal.

https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/driver-shortage-continues-to-blight-bus-service-559382

Which begs the question what are the buses actually for? 

Well obviously not tourists as the first routes to be cut were those directed at them (eg the 28 to Cregneash and the Sound).  Actually Bus Vannin and the Tourism Department have always been bad at promoting the idea of visitors getting around on the buses, even using the basic network.  Like a lot of things from the civil service it seems to be about snobbery and not wanting 'the sort of people' who use buses.  

[forestboy]

On 8/9/2022 at 9:40 PM, Kopek said:

When do buses ever pull into the layby ??? Specsavers???

Usually have their ass end sticking out

[Numbnuts]

22 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

Well obviously not tourists as the first routes to be cut were those directed at them (eg the 28 to Cregneash and the Sound).  Actually Bus Vannin and the Tourism Department have always been bad at promoting the idea of visitors getting around on the buses, even using the basic network.  Like a lot of things from the civil service it seems to be about snobbery and not wanting 'the sort of people' who use buses.  

Wonder what the leaseholder at the Sound has to say about the lack of buses there. The cafe/ restaurant is owned by Government . I wouldnt be happy if I was leasing it at no doubt a premium 

[x-in-man]

2 boats due in tomorrow- and 2 on Saturday.    Don’t try and get a bus anywhere.   
 

Thursday 25th - just a heads up.   Artania can carry 1260 passengers so there’ll be no buses (and probably trams and trains) for anyone local.

[manxfisherman]

https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/frustration-over-bus-drivers-sick-leave-561797

Ace.

[Banker]

3 minutes ago, manxfisherman said:

https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/frustration-over-bus-drivers-sick-leave-561797

Ace.

It’s like most of government workers, watch the sickness levels amongst teachers rise next week when schools go back!!