So I have recently received a response from Stagecoach in response to a complaint I raised following the information some of you gave to me. Stagecoach did not respond to the individual information points and gave the reason, which I expected them to give. The response is replicated below. I will keep an eye out on the service, as I know it is still hit-and-miss if a bus turns up on time, or at all. Please continue to provide current examples of where it is letting you down.
“Dear Councillor Hudston
Thank you for taking the time to contact Martin Griffiths, regarding our 55 service from Swindon. I am sorry to hear that you have been receiving complaints about the reliability of our service from residents in Calne.
I have been asked to respond to your email, on behalf of Stagecoach, as the Operations Manager responsible for operating the 55 service.
Firstly, I would like to apologise to all our customers who have not received a response from us, after lodging a complaint. We have recently changed to a dedicated Perth Service Centre (PSC) that handles all complaints, rather than individual customer service teams within our regions. The transition has not gone as smoothly as we would have liked and has caused delays in complaints reaching our depots. The delays, although not fully resolved, have started to reduce and customer complaints are starting to be managed as they should be.
I completely understand and acknowledge the frustration and disruption felt when we cancel any of our services. The predominant reason for journeys that have been cancelled is the widely publicised national shortage of vocational licence holders within the Transport Industry. This has not been helped in recent times by increased competition in the market (earlier this year, the DfT wrote to a number of our drivers encouraging them to move to the HGV industry!).
We are continuing to employ and train new drivers in Swindon and have reduced the number of vacant positions substantially. The problem we face is the amount of time it takes to train a new driver. Following a successful interview, a candidate is required to undergo and pass a medical before they can apply for a provisional D licence issued by DVLA. Once the licence is issued and the new driver commences employment, it then takes a minimum of 8 weeks before they will be ready to go live in service. We have our driving school teams across Stagecoach working incredibly hard to provide us with the drivers we need to fulfil our obligations to our passengers.
To give you some factual evidence we have employed and trained 28 new drivers in the last 6 months and have a further 11 drivers in various stages of their training. The exodus to the HGV industry has also slowed meaning we are now retaining our staff as well as training new employees.
The disruption to our passengers has been felt across all routes on the Swindon network. My team of Supervisors ensure that any cancellations are spread evenly across different routes around Swindon to lessen the inconvenience that is felt. Priority is given to the routes that have infrequent or hourly services and school services. This 55 now operates with a 20 minute frequency during peak times. I do stand by the statement that the disruption has improved a great deal from where we were 6 months ago and continues to improve week by week.
Any customer that is affected by a cancellation that is within our control, I am happy to offer a travel pass for a day of free travel, and in some cases, we will reimburse a taxi fare should there be no alternative available at the time.
I do sincerely apologise for the disruption that has been caused to all Calne residents and surrounding communities, we will continue working hard to resolve this matter as soon as possible. Should there be any further cause to do so, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
Yours sincerely
Stuart Dudley
Operations Manager,
Swindon Depot
Stagecoach West”