Western Greyhound Pulls Out of St Austell Rail Station

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

I'm starting the Tennis analogies again.

how some women drivers pass their test I don't know...

Code violation. Sexism. 

It may surprise you to know that bad drivers come in both sexes.

That said, I will just make comment about the female bus driver I saw on Friday, who'd parked up her vehicle near a junction to a visitor attraction, on a narrow B road and not in a lay-by. She was stood having a fag, no hazards flashing on her bus, oblivious to any problems she may have been causing to passing traffic. Including the ambulance on 'blues and twos' that was trying to get through....

But, could equally have been an inconsiderate male bus driver.

[bobm]

.. and knowing how BNM likes a pedant - I thought PSV had been consigned to history and was now PCV.....   

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

It may surprise you to know that bad drivers come in both sexes

la la la

[Chris from Nailsea]

Yes, I thought that was one of your best ones, relex109. 

[vacman]

Stick to the train it's Safer by Rail!

Bit difficult if your going somewhere where there is no railway!

[StuartStIves]

Not convinced about the Banksman reason.  First (who are usually the most obsessed about health and safety) are continuing to use the Interchange at St Austell, and Western Greyhound has a number of routes that regularly require the driver to undertake reversing moves on the public highway without assistance (eg: Gurnard's Head on services 507/508, and all services at Penzance Bus station)  


I'll ignore the gender based comments on drivers beyond pointing out there is no scientific evidence that a person's gender has any impact on their competency as a driver.  

[Exeter]

I think it has more to do with the charges that First (or the Council) pass onto Western Greyhound for using the Bus Station. Charging for bus station per departure is nothing new and is common practice throughout the country - which is why in quite a number of cases operators have rerouted their services away from Bus Stations to avoid further costs on what are possibly only marginal routes! Furthermore First have just picked up a number of council contracts previously operated by Western Greyhound so I suspect the view at Greyhound is to reduce operating costs as much as they can in an attempt to prevent further loss of work. Mind you, First apparently bid for these contracts based on a completely different wages and conditions structure as to what the rest of their bus staff in Cornwall are on and word on the street is that the troops are far from happy about it with threats - at least a couple of weeks ago, of industrial action!   

[chrisoates]

Not convinced about the Banksman reason.  First (who are usually the most obsessed about health and safety) are continuing to use the Interchange at St Austell, and Western Greyhound has a number of routes that regularly require the driver to undertake reversing moves on the public highway without assistance (eg: Gurnard's Head on services 507/508, and all services at Penzance Bus station)  


I'll ignore the gender based comments on drivers beyond pointing out there is no scientific evidence that a person's gender has any impact on their competency as a driver.  

I presume you've noticed that St Ives has had a Banksman for many years.

I know a WG driver very well and will ask him for his opinion when I see him.
 

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

Did Western Greyhound "pull out" or, were they evicted for not giving Cornwall Council a winning contract price? Most changes of service operator come about as a result of the periodic retendering process required for subsidised bus services. Alternatively did WG operate these services commercially, in which case the term "Pull Out" would be correctly used.

[chrisoates]

 I see WG are out of Bretonside in Plymouth also.