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Independent busmen speak
Page 67
Page 68
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their minds by John Darker AMBIM
Driver recruitment problems hamper expansion
WHAT can be learned from talking to veteran bus and coach operators? What is the relevance in 1975 of operating experience in the Twenties and Thirties?
I talked recently to Mr W.H. Smith, a 74-year-old bus and coach operator in Buntingford whose company, Smith's (Buntingford) Ltd has a long history. Mr Smith began with a stage carriage service from Buntingford to Hitchin in 1921. H is first bus cost E750 all-in and at the start he had no idea how the bus would be paid for. In the event, the service was well supported and the bus was paid for in two years.
Today, Mr Smith runs nine or ten single-decker buses and coaches and a 10-year-old double-decker. Several of the vehicles are used for school work, a mainstay of the business. Excursions and tours boost revenue in the summer, though there is not much activity on this front before Whitsun and business in the season is not as good as Mr Smith would like.
Driver recruitment
A principal problem is driver recruitment, described by this old operator as a "nightmare". "They hate the rigmarole of rigid starting and finishing times. Above all, young drivers can't bear the necessary paperwork. When this is removed you'll get good drivers again. Young drivers simply will not accept the restrictive conditions of work."
What are the feelings of the old in dependents towards the State-owned bus undertakings?
Mr Smith complains of licensing restraints andhe tendency of London Country — Characteristically, referred to as London Transport — to advance its timetables two minutes at a time so that the gap between Smith's services and London Country's are steadily narrowed.
"Villagers don't want two services to a country town within 20 minutes or so." said Mr Smith, scornfully.
A recent county council survey of Sandon inhabitants to assess the need for more buses had upset Smith's drivers when they learned that the person making the inquiries was earning "30 bob an hour".
I was reminded by Mrs H. Smith, wife and partner of the bus operator, of the long battle with London Transport to serve Buntingford and surrounding villages. In a celebrated case some years ago the Smiths had been backed by the PVOA — in a case alleging traffic poaching by London Transport — all the way to the House of Lords.
With current pressure from London Country to increase their Buntingford to H itchin fares to 14p as against the 10p charged by Smiths, and of a service which should qualify for a county subsidy, the Traffic Commissioners seem likely to face an interesting session.
Mr Smith can recall the days — bad or good? — when he worked till 3am and began another gruelling day at 6 am. A day's takings in the Twenties might only total Is 6d. But nostalgic memories have not entirely crowded out mock ideas: Smith's bought a year-c Leyland-engined coach for £11,000 i relief work, at motorway speeds, 1; year and were happy to say that its m was no heavier than a lower hor power bus operated flat out.
What stands out most clearly frc my talk with Mr and Mrs Smith is t conscious dedication to the travelli public over three generations. T school-kids who were among 11 Smith's first customers are tod grandparents — and often still patrc of the firm. BUS operation, for t Smith's, has been a way of life. In ott callings it would be hard to find su dedication.
Mr N. G. Keen, director of Ronsw Coaches, Hemel Hempstead, is anoth operator for whom school work pi vides a backbone. The firm no long operates excursions and tours b undertakes private hire work. The flt — currently two double-deckers ai five .coaches — is smaller than it on was because of the great difficulty recruiting drivers. Mr Keen hims, drives, to help out. Driver recruitme in Hemel has, it seems, been extremt difficult since the joint oil terminal w opened adjacent to him. "Fantas; wages are paid to drivers at the termini we've lost two drivers to the termir operators."
Paradoxically, Ronsway finds that is harder to get its 1,200 gallon fuel tai filled today, when their depot is only mile or two from the oil terminal, than was before it was opened! There is a lack of work for the coaches the summer and Ronsway takes rties to France, Switzerland, Italy and Istria. Part-time drivers — teachers, cmen, etc. — supplement the full-time ivers in summer.
Atlement of accounts
One of the biggest business worries is 0 problem of prompt settlement of counts in the computer age. "Almost cry firm we deal with is corniterized," said Mr Keen. "Despite all aefforts, it is hard to ensure that our voices are dealt with promptly. It's not iusual to have to wait two or three onths for our county council cheque r school buses. Some large private .stomers are even worse off than this". Ronsway started operations in 1948 a town-centre site in Hemel and was bsequently moved to a light inIstrial area by the New Town mporation. The rates were too high' id the present premises, a garage and ird. were purchased as an alternative. tt another move may be necessary, as e present/premises are in a re-developent area and a new road planned will ake access to the site difficult.
Mr R. Barnett, a senior director, cornained of the "carving up" of private re rates by NBC companies. As a 'hoot bus and private hire operator he ivied rural bus operators of stage irriage services whose operations were ibsidized by new-bus grants. Mr Barnett felt he spoke for many independent operators in envying the ability of NBC companies to buy £12,000 buses for £6,000 and scrap them after 10 years. With the additional advantage of bulk buying facilities for tyres, etc, the competitive balance, in his view, was very unequal.
The durability of some old doubledeckers is evident from the 1958 Leyland purchased three years ago from Lancashire United Transport. This vehicle has cost little in spares and Ronsway thinks it good for a few years yet.
School-bus headache
One of the headaches of school-bus operation — worse in some areas than others -is wanton damage. One child broke a perfectly sound Triplex window and Ronsway was unable to persuade the boy's parent to pay for the damage. On another occasion no less than 16 lamp bulbs were destroyed by children riding on the top deck. "At over 30p each that makes a dent in profits."
Not far away from Hemel, at Leighton Buzzard Mr B. T. Costin, manager of Milton Keynes Coaches Ltd, a Tricentrol company, was also short of drivers, with a fleet of 12 or 13 coaches and only nine drivers on the payroll. Bus cleaners were also hard to recruit. The company had been short of drivers for several months and private hire work was restricted as a result. Milton Keynes Coaches undertake school contracts for Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire and there was no complaint about delay in settling the accounts.
Minibus work on works contracts was over-competitive, in Mr Costin's view, because too many undercapitalized drivers had come into this type of business.
Among Mr Costin's recent troubles has been the difficulty of getting spares for Duple and Plaxton bodies. If, for example, a pvc-covered seat gets torn there could be a six weeks' delay in getting the proper material to repair it.
Milton Keynes Coaches had taken delivery of four Ford and one Bedford coach in the past two years. "One of the first four had a faulty engine and needed reconditioning immediately."
Inflation problems
Three coaches needed major engine repairs within 35,000 miles due to thin, rusty liners, according to Mr Costin.
Intensive operation on night work could enable a mileage of up to 130.000 to be achieved within two years.
The worst problem Mr Costin was experiencing could be laid at the door of inflation. "The 'perpetual motion' of rate increases is a constant burden which embarrasses me as much as my customers. You are lucky if you manage to recover cost increases with higher charges."