Lack of drivers is crippling coach men
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SOME OPERATORS ARE 'LIVING FROM HAND TO MOUTH
by CM reporter • Coach and tour excursion operators are losing ground in the struggle to recruit and retain drivers — some coach men are selling up and others are living "from hand to mouth".
The situation is similar to that which has faced hauliers for some time but apparently was not realized until the "season" got under way.
This week, London operator Venture Travel revealed that the situation is at "crisis level" with this company. Its driving staff is 50 per cent down.
Traffic manager Mr John Featherstone said: "At the moment we are having to use other staff to keep coaches running. But as yet, we haven't had to cancel anything."
However, it does not seem to be money which is the root of the problem. Mr
Featherstone pointed out that with his company drivers earn up to £60 a week "The thing is that each operator is chasing the wages tail of the other," he said.
Licence problem And he went on: "One of the main problems is getting the men a licence. There is a two-month waiting list at the Public Carriage Office, where some of my men — who have been driving automatics — need to be licensed for manuals.
"I had a man the other day who had been on the dole for three weeks. They said he would have to wait six weeks for a test. It's just ridiculous. Men are reticent to wait that long. They are frustrated that they have a job waiting and can't take it up."
Mr Featherstone thinks that the age limit should be dropped from 21 to 18, "so we can at least recruit youngsters before they are settled in other jobs."
The shortage of drivers was an "understatement" to traffic manager David Spain of C. W. Banfield, Peckham. "It's chronic," he said. They are missing 35 drivers.
"At present we have 18 coach drivers. We send other staff out but it's not good long-term policy," said Mr Spain.
Indications are that the problem is more acute in London than in the rest of the country. A spokesman for Wallace Arnold of Leeds said that although there was a mild shortage, they were not embarrassed by it.
And at Ribble Motor Services Ltd, in Preston, a spokesman said: "You can never get as many drivers as you want at this time of year, but we are getting by."
Selling up Director of the Passenger Vehicle Operators' Association, Mr Denis Quin, explained: "There is a grave shortage. It was not long ago that a Lancashire operator rang and said he was selling up because he couldn't cope.
"One of the problems is getting a driver tested. If he has a long wait, he will find something else in the meantime.
"I think we will have to look closely at the TOPS scheme and at channelling men through our own facilities.
"We'll have to think of something; many operators are living from hand to mouth."
The time lag at the test centre is aggravated by many drivers failing to turn up when they are booked. But the Public Carriage Office confirmed this week that there is a waiting list of about six weeks.
The position is made worse for operators because they have difficulty in raising their fares.
And until some breach is made in the vicious circle — operators chasing scarce drivers who cannot get a quick test, plus large gaps in a career structure and coach men wanting fares increases in order to pay the drivers — the situation looks like getting worse before getting better.