East Yorkshire driver shortage leads to reduced bus services
I’ve been working with East Riding Community Transport looking at the opportunities to address gaps in community service provision and so when I saw this article it reinforced the value of community transport particularly but not exclusively in rural areas. This story tells us:
A shortage of drivers has led to a reduced timetable being brought in on bus services in Hull.
East Yorkshire buses will be operating temporary daily service reductions planned for services 54, 56, 57, 66, 104, 105 and 154.
The company said it would create more reliable services following a number of last-minute cancellations.
Passengers are already facing disruption with a strike on Stagecoach buses.
Ben Gilligan, East Yorkshire’s managing director, said the bus industry as a whole had been impacted by driver shortages.
He said it was a result of various factors including the lifting of coronavirus pandemic restrictions, issues with the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) and a “small labour market and a lot of competition”.
He added: “There’s been a lot of issues with licences not being issued promptly by the DVSA as well as general challenges in the labour market… so we’re not alone and it’s not just buses facing the problem.”