Picture Credit : Trentbarton
A shortage of bus drivers is continuing to have a knock on affect to local bus service provision in the area.
Bus operator Trentbarton have recently announced that they still have 130 vacant drivers jobs, this comes after the company reorganised a number of it’s services, which includes the number 21 bus, a vital lifeline that connects Stapleford residents to Nottingham, the service is due to stop running on 2nd October.
Other local services are being to be affected too with the 15 bus due to stop running after 7pm and the 20 bus due to be replaced by another service.
The driver shortage is not just a Trentbarton problem either, with all Nottinghamshire bus operators being affected, recently CT4N’s 18 service, had to cut down it services for a period, going once an hour instead of half hour.
Figures, collected by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, show that Trentbarton cancelled 1,600 services between August 3 and August 17.
With 6th August being the worst-hit day, when 211 services were called off that morning.
The company says the cancellations were unavoidable as it struggles to fill gaps in its workforce, but it adds the figure was just three per cent of the almost 50,000 services provided during this period.
A company spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:
“The national shortage of bus drivers has been caused by a variety of factors, including Covid retirements and absences, migration of bus drivers to better paid jobs such as driving lorries, and strikes and delays at the driver licensing authority.”
“Our driving team currently has 130 vacancies – 17 per cent short of what we would need to run a full timetable. That shows how well our drivers are doing to only lose three per cent of timetabled services.”
“Our drivers – and their support teams – are working flat out to do their very best to carry as many customers as they can.”
“Driver shortages are impacting the whole of the bus industry and many other sectors.”
“Every day we announce via social media which services are not running at which times, to be upfront about cancellations so customers can plan journeys.”
“Our thanks go to our customers for their understanding and patience whilst we tackle the problem.”
It is understood major changes could be on the horizon for bus provision in the county, with Nottinghamshire County Council confirming some routes could be at risk if longer-term funding models don’t come forward.
It follows the removal of Covid-related Government bus grants, with dwindling passenger numbers leading to a cash crisis for providers struggling to keep services running.
Last month, the Conservative-led authority stepped in to provide alternative funding in a bid to temporarily save 19 routes from the axe.
Concerns remain, however, about how these routes will fair once funding packages come to an end next April.
Councillor Neil Clarke (Conservative), the authority’s cabinet member for transport and environment, recently said he has sympathy with bus operators during this period.
Speaking with the the Local Democracy Reporting Service he said :
“I can understand it from their point of view. They haven’t got a room full of drivers that they can use in case somebody doesn’t turn up.”
“It is very difficult, but it’s a question of them trying to do their best to employ reliable drivers who are going to be there regularly when they’re needed.”
Trentbarton has said it has more than 55 drivers in its training academy who will be working behind the wheel “as soon as possible”.
Going back to the closure of the 21 service it is understood a number of Stapleford Councillors have set up a petition to try and save the service, one of those being Independent Councillor Richard MacRae.
So far More than 1000 people have signed the petition asking Trent Barton to reconsider the decision and retain the service. The petition will be given to County Councillor John Doddy to present to the Nottingham County Council to see if the council can step in and help residents.
Speaking recently about the cancelled service, Councillor MacRae said:
“It’s not that long away really, and it’s the main bus that goes through the Stapleford North ward and it goes all the way from here to Nottingham and then back again. It’s the route that people catch to get to the doctors up our end of Stapleford, so it’s going to have implications for that.”
“It’s also the only bus from our end of Stapleford that takes people directly past the Queen’s Medical Centre, so it’s just cutting off that lifeline to everyone. We’ve approached CT4N to see if they can take on the route as they kind of took on the 18 when Trent Barton pulled that but they don’t have the capacity to do it.”
“There’s no thought or consideration for people that live up our end of Stapleford, the fact that they are just pulling the bus, I think it’s disgusting, and that’s why we set that petition up. It’s a joint petition, it’s not just me doing it, it’s the other councillors in the Stapleford North ward.”
“They are also changing the My15 which is going to stop running from 7pm, that puts off people getting from Long Eaton and Ilkeston as well.”
One of the residents who signed the petition said:
“Getting rid of the Kirk Hallam to Nottingham leg of the 21 route will mean residents in the Stapleford North, Trowell Park and Hickings Lane areas will find it much harder travelling to work, to spend time with friends and to go to the QMC and the University of Nottingham.”
To read more about and to sign the petition visit : https://www.change.org/p/save-bus-route-21