New bus plans being drawn up in North East Lincolnshire

Final plans are being made on how to use over 4 million pounds of Government cash to improve bus services in North East Lincolnshire

A driver shortage has been affecting Stagecoach services in the area - with a number of last minute cancellations in Grimsby

This has been raised with the operator who are involved in the partnership where the funding can be allocated to help better services

North East Lincolnshire Council has said it is making final plans for how to use £4.7m in government funding to improve bus services.

Council discusses bus issue

The issue was raised at the most recent full council by Labour Cllr Tim Mickleburgh, a regular bus user.

He was promised a letter setting out in detail Stagecoach’s response to concerns raised by the council about service cancellations.

The funding from the Department for Transport is ringfenced for use to put into action the council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).

The plan was introduced in October 2021 and set out a number of aims, short and longer term.

These included more buses at weekends and in the evenings, simplifying fares, moving to zero emissions buses within three years on 40 per cent of the Grimsby town network, and by 2026, a new Grimsby bus interchange, Park & Ride sites and a bus link to Europarc.

To get the funding for the improvement plan, the council had to form an Enhanced Bus Quality Partnership, which includes partners such as Stagecoach.

Final plans are being put in place for how the £4.7m will be used and Conservative Cllr Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for environment and transport, has met with Stagecoach in recent weeks to ensure all is being done to maintain regular bus services.

The meeting followed a letter by Cllr Swinburn to Stagecoach East Midlands’ managing director, asking reassurances that action would be taken as soon as possible to ease bus service problems in Grimsby.

“We are looking to reassure residents and businesses that we are working with Stagecoach to improve public transport provision,” said Cllr Swinburn. “

We do this knowing that the challenges faced by bus operators with recruiting additional drivers are linked to the national shortage of bus drivers and the national recruitment crisis, which is impacting services across the country.

“We know however that Stagecoach is working hard to employ more drivers, with driver recruitment and retention, being a top priority.” He said that bus operators are “fully aware” of the impact changes to their services can have on communities and that other councillors had raised the issue, including at full council.

Recent spates of last minute cancellations of Stagecoach bus services in the area was brought up twice at the latest full council meeting, including by Cllr Mickleburgh.

On Saturday, September 17, there were more than 100 Stagecoach East Midlands bus services cancelled across North East Lincolnshire.

Asked by Cllr Mickleburgh about communications to Stagecoach from the council about when bus services will return to normal, North East Lincolnshire council leader Cllr Phillip Jackson responded in Cllr Swinburn’s absence including with figures on the Grimsby area bus drivers shortage.

He confirmed to full council that the council’s regeneration partner Equans have weekly discussions with Stagecoach East Midlands about the services and had raised concerns on seven occasions in the previous three months over the volume and frequency of late cancellations.

On September 22, Cllr Swinburn had written to the operator also expressing concerns and had received a reply setting out the Grimsby area drivers shortage.

Stagecoach East Midlands had a shortfall of 11 drivers in the area, but 15 people were progressing through to obtain the relevant qualifications to become bus drivers and another nine were waiting to start their courses.

It was anticipated that 17 drivers would achieve their qualifications by the end of October.

The lure of better paid HGV driver salaries has been a factor behind the bus drivers shortage. Addressing this, Cllr Jackson said that a Grimsby bus driver could now expect a salary of £22,105 in their first year, working 39 hours a week, rising to £24,944 in their second year.

However, in 2023, Grimsby Stagecoach drivers will receive a 14 per cent increase on their salaries, lifting their wages to £14 an hour, Cllr Jackson said.

Though not referenced by the council leader, this compares to the ongoing dispute between Stagecoach East Midlands and Unite member bus drivers in Hull, who have taken industrial action to get their pay increased from £11.14 an hour to £13. Stagecoach’s offer of a 14.5 per cent rise over two years has been rejected.

“A lot of that is good to hear,” said Cllr Mickleburgh in response before noting Stagecoach East Midland’s domination of the bus service market in North East Lincolnshire. “

It’s something that concerns me as a Conservative, I don’t particularly like monopolies,” admitted Cllr Jackson.

Labour opposition leader Cllr Patrick described the bus services as in a “state of chaos” and asked for the council’s views on getting stronger powers to regulate buses. Cllr Jackson did not agree with his Labour counterpart’s description of the state of bus services in North East Lincolnshire and said: “I am reassured that Stagecoach are working hard to deliver more services.”

“Discussions around future powers to regulate local bus services would be welcomed,” he added, something which Cllr Swinburn has also indicated he would welcome as well.