Go North East

there's a GNE policy about not stranding bairns/lasses if they have no change etc. Get the bairn to ask the driver to radio control if she has any more shite like that. I've stepped in when I've seen similar.

She was at Chester le Street and the driver said to go and speak to the office, there was no one there and he fucked off and left her there.

This was at about 8 at night when she was 15.
 


Any idea why they hated it or not?


Did he ever give tell u what was like to work for or not?

They’re always on the look out for drivers from what I can tell, yet whenever I’ve caught a bus in the past they’ve been working for them for years.

Mind I saw that the National express drivers only got £8.91 an hour which seemed poor to me.
 
Any idea why they hated it or not?


Did he ever give tell u what was like to work for or not?
I’ll ask him, I don’t think it was bad, test paid for, plenty overtime if you wanted it.

He is an impatient bugger though and didn’t like shifts either. I think he left after a confrontation with one of the managers, but that’s more him than anything else.
 
I’ll ask him, I don’t think it was bad, test paid for, plenty overtime if you wanted it.

He is an impatient bugger though and didn’t like shifts either. I think he left after a confrontation with one of the managers, but that’s more him than anything else.
Cheers mate, I’m more just looking for job security. I like to do me overtime aswell so sounds good.
 
A mate works for them and often finishes one shift at 11.45pm and his next is 7.45pm leaving 8 hours break (the minimum) for travel, food, shower, sleep and back again.
Wages is about £18,000 a year once your trained up.
Shifts start about 4am and run until after midnight.
Drunks, kids and other prats often are a nightmare as well.
Mega strict drink and drugs policy, anything in your system of a couple of cans the night before and your suspended.
Regular health checks etc.
He often whinged about lack of change, people getting on with a £20 for a 90p fare, but since contactless payments came in most people use those now.

On the plus side because he works overtime, extra shifts and works rest days, he often gets to the point where they're giving him 6/7 days off in a row.
His family gets free bus passes, so on days off you can go off on the lash around the region.
Free uniform.

You can move up to National Express and they pay in the low 20's, but you spend time away from home.
 
A mate works for them and often finishes one shift at 11.45pm and his next is 7.45pm leaving 8 hours break (the minimum) for travel, food, shower, sleep and back again.
Wages is about £18,000 a year once your trained up.
Shifts start about 4am and run until after midnight.
Drunks, kids and other prats often are a nightmare as well.
Mega strict drink and drugs policy, anything in your system of a couple of cans the night before and your suspended.
Regular health checks etc.
He often whinged about lack of change, people getting on with a £20 for a 90p fare, but since contactless payments came in most people use those now.

On the plus side because he works overtime, extra shifts and works rest days, he often gets to the point where they're giving him 6/7 days off in a row.
His family gets free bus passes, so on days off you can go off on the lash around the region.
Free uniform.

You can move up to National Express and they pay in the low 20's, but you spend time away from home.
Any idea on the wage whilst training or do you not get paid whilst your training?
 
Any idea on the wage whilst training or do you not get paid whilst your training?

Minimum wage while you train iirc. The missus fancied doing the job.

They had an open day at the metro centre where you could take a bus on a drive and fill in a form and arrange an interview on the day.

Interview itself lasted a full day and you had to drive a long-ish wheelbase Transit minibus to see how you handled a larger vehicle. They send your driving licence off on the day as well to get PSV added to it. Training I think she said was a few weeks until you pass the test then you start learning the routes.
 
Minimum wage while you train iirc. The missus fancied doing the job.

They had an open day at the metro centre where you could take a bus on a drive and fill in a form and arrange an interview on the day.

Interview itself lasted a full day and you had to drive a long-ish wheelbase Transit minibus to see how you handled a larger vehicle. They send your driving licence off on the day as well to get PSV added to it. Training I think she said was a few weeks until you pass the test then you start learning the routes.
Thanks mate.
 
Thanks mate.
My brothers experience mirrored that of a1970man ‘s mate.

He hit his wing mirror off low hanging branches on his first test, failed and then passed second time.

Also, in your first few weeks of the job you get a mentor, an experienced member of staff who is with you on your routes. On my brothers first day driving with his mentor a little old lady got on. She stood so he asked if she wanted to sit (on a near empty bus) but she refused as it meant she had to leave her trolley alone at the front. He had no obligation to make people sit.

Anyway, cut about 5 minutes and car pulls out on him on Chester Road, he slams the brakes on and is promptly visited by a little old lady and her shopping trolley as they slam against the front of his bus. His mentor witnessed it and supported there was nothing he could do.

Little old lady sued GNE. His card was probably marked after that too.
 
Was there for 9 years 1991 to 2000
Traffic was f***ing shit, always running late at peak times.
Flat rate for overtime was shit .
The buses were shit
The managers were poor .
I got on a Monday to fri rota that helped.
Overall some canny times but also some shitty ones .
Any ideas what the Rota’s were like?
 
Used to work for them many moons ago on the engineering side. Was a good job to be honest, made some great friends, some who I still see at the match. I left to go in the forces. Had a good pension scheme and other benefits. Albeit a long time ago, so slightly out of touch.
 

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