HTL Buses

[CX06 EBK (Administrator)]

RE: HTL Buses
After is rear end RTC, VDL SB180 AY60BVD has returned and should be back out for when the schools return.

[CX06 EBK (Administrator)]

RE: HTL Buses
A further arrival for Merseylink work is Volkswagen Transporter / Bluebird YX10AXS.

[mr t]

RE: HTL Buses
Do we have any idea when all the merseytravel contract are going back to normal it was only meant to be for a few weeks now its been like 6 months. Surprised they haven't been taken off them by merseytravel it's been so long.

[CX06 EBK (Administrator)]

RE: HTL Buses
They can hardly take the contracts off them when Merseytravel agreed to all the service changes and combine that with a nationwide driver shortage who were they going to pass the contracts to locally when Cumfybus have their own driver shortages and Stagecoach and Arriva still aren't even operating their own services properly.

As for the routes themselves, aside from the daytime 188 I'm not entirely sure what is urgently needed back. The evening 135/144s are more used on the trips now than they were before and the 174 is one of those routes that HTL had tried to give back before but Merseytravel had not had any success finding a replacement operator.

[St Helens Rider]

RE: HTL Buses
Some routes are hit harder than others. The 156 for example is now 2 Hourly both Daytimes and Evenings/Sundays. Equally the 60 has gone from half hourly (daytimes)/hourly (Evenings/Sundays) to hourly/2 hourly.

[Mayneway]

RE: HTL Buses

(13/11/2021 13:08)CX06 EBK Wrote:  They can hardly take the contracts off them when Merseytravel agreed to all the service changes and combine that with a nationwide driver shortage who were they going to pass the contracts to locally when Cumfybus have their own driver shortages and Stagecoach and Arriva still aren't even operating their own services properly.

As for the routes themselves, aside from the daytime 188 I'm not entirely sure what is urgently needed back. The evening 135/144s are more used on the trips now than they were before and the 174 is one of those routes that HTL had tried to give back before but Merseytravel had not had any success finding a replacement operator.

The comment about Merseytravel and the driver shortage has surprised me. I assumed the reduced levels of service were down to covid and not the driver shortage. I work for a big op on Manchester who like everywhere else has been hit hard by the shortage but priority is given to making sure the tenders and schools are covered, and as far as I’m aware very little if any TFGM tendered work has been dropped due to staffing shortages.

[CX06 EBK (Administrator)]

RE: HTL Buses
HTL have always had a high turnover of staff and covid was a reason but the simple fact is this, Arriva and Stagecoaches own driver shortages has seen a good number of people make the switch to those firms from operators like HTL as it is far easier to get in now than it was before. Despite that both those operators are still short and are not running at full timetables, HTL are still short themselves so saw the need to keep the 159 at 2 buses rather than 4 and revert the 166/188 to just 166 operation for the time being - those being their commercially ran services. On top of that to maintain at a 'regular' timetable some tenders were reduced in service to save I think a combined 4 or 5 drivers across the whole change. The driver situation has hardly changed as they're only just getting people back into their driving school now, so I can't see it changing any time soon.

[mr t]

RE: HTL Buses

(13/11/2021 13:08)CX06 EBK Wrote:  They can hardly take the contracts off them when Merseytravel agreed to all the service changes and combine that with a nationwide driver shortage who were they going to pass the contracts to locally when Cumfybus have their own driver shortages and Stagecoach and Arriva still aren't even operating their own services properly.

As for the routes themselves, aside from the daytime 188 I'm not entirely sure what is urgently needed back. The evening 135/144s are more used on the trips now than they were before and the 174 is one of those routes that HTL had tried to give back before but Merseytravel had not had any success finding a replacement operator.

9
Thanks for your explanation however the 188 is needed back as it is the only way to get from Garston Hunts Cross Asda and Halewood where my Mrs lives and works has to walk now or get taxi so a joke actually

[CX06 EBK (Administrator)]

RE: HTL Buses
I did say aside from the daytime 188 but while staffing issues still aren't where they need to be I can't see it coming back soon, though having done both I am not sure why it was the 166 to be kept both times there has been changes.

[iMarkeh]

RE: HTL Buses
I did notice that the 159 has gone out for tender so this is no longer a commercial route. IF someone else wins, that may help HTLs driver situation slightly. Also all of the St Helens evening stuff has gone out to tender with full timetables (and maybe bringing back old routes) so if HTL win that, that could make things worse as more routes means more drivers.

Going to be very interesting to see all the contract wins.