Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

[iMarkeh]

RE: Arriva North West - Winsford Depot

(18/09/2020 07:38)Rick Hunter Wrote:  No, D&G pay isn't higher than Arriva. Conditions with pretty much most operators now are sh*te to be honest. Conditions vary greatly even between depots within Arriva as local management make or break a depot. D&G conditions are no worse than other operators. What gives you the impression otherwise? We don't have a stream of new vehicles arriving every year but then niether do Arriva.

Rather than run a network down due to driver shortage surely it would be better to deregister routes rather than make them totally unviable for anyone else. It's as though Arriva are saying well if we can't run them then nobody else is going to.

What made me wonder was this post.

(17/09/2020 06:17)33109 Wrote:  My driver mate who used to do macc work & is now a winsford allocated driver says he was told it isn't looking likely that macc depot at gaw end lane will reopen. Few people have left again, high peak is where he knows a few drivers have gone.

Said drivers don't like being stuck on macc town work & 38s are now worked by winsford drivers. Drivers apparently want more variety & better pay/conditions is why a load have left.

If drivers want better pay and conditions then it doesn't make sense why drivers are moving to D&G where it isn't better.

(18/09/2020 07:47)knutstransport Wrote:  I don't get why Arriva not operating from Macclesfield would have led to drivers joining D&G (based at Wincham and Crewe.) If a driver lives in or near Northwich and works for Arriva then maybe they'll apply for vacancies with D&G and Walkers/Holmeswood Coaches to be based closer to home but I don't get how the Arriva Macclesfield outstation comes in to it.

I think it must be infuriating driving an hour to work to then get a bus and drive for an hour the exact same way you have just come and then in the evening to drive a bus for an hour to then drive the exact same way home again. By moving to D&G, they will be on more variety of work and will be unlikely to have to drive basically a 2 hour round trip, twice per day for no reason other than the local depot has shut. D&G you drive to work, drive around lots of different areas with lots of variety of routes then you drive home.
If drivers move to High Peak, depending on where they live, it might be quicker than driving to Winsford. You then have the same benefits as D&G with not wasting 2 hours and you will have more variety of routes at High Peak compared to Arriva who it has been mentioned are keeping Macc drivers on the Macc town network.