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Double-deckers battle
Page 18
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• Sheffield-based South Yorkshire Transport is hitting back at some of its independent competitors by setting-up a new double-deck bus unit trading as Mainline. The 21-bus unit operates on the 81/2/3/4/6 routes from the north and west to the south-west of Sheffield. Its main rival, SUT is well established on the 82 route from Middlewood to Bents Green and various companies run between the city centre and Hillsborough. Based at the Herries Road depot of SYT, the unit is selfaccounting and the vehicles sport a new yellow and red livery. A team of 45 drivers have been recruited from the ranks of existing staff. The unit is
managed by Tony Gilmour, a former inspector who is responsible for the dedicated staff and a small number of cleaners, who also perform other SYT duties.
Mainline buys in its adminis
trative and maintenance work from SYT under a system which maintains it as a separate cost centre. SYT has trained its drivers in customer care and has issued them with new blazers to promote the separate identity.
Mainline's establishment follows the creation of the freestanding Eager Beaver minibus unit in March. Based at SYT's Greenland Road depot, it operates the 52 service against two competitors. A total of 37 minibuses with 82 newly-recruited staff operate a high-frequency service previously operated by 21 double-deckers with 52 staff. Round-trip times improved from 120 minutes to 90-96 minutes.