Saturday Bus Service Cancellations

31/03/2022 -Until Further Notice 

 

It is with regret we inform our passengers, due to a significant reduction of drivers within our team and an extreme shortage of PCV drivers in Lincolnshire, we will be unable operate any Saturday bus services from the 31/03/2022 onwards.

 

We had hoped to avoid this action taking intermediary steps on the 06/11/2021, adopting temporary reduced Saturday services and then halting them from 01/01/2022 - 31/03/2022. . However, we have been unable to recruit significant numbers to reinstate a full Saturday programme. 

 

This action is not in anyway taken lightly and we hope that it is temporary; it is a big decision for a local family business as we fully appreciate both the disruption and inconvenience it may cause to loyal passengers. It is being taken with our best intentions to ensure Brylaine are able to fully operate ALL SERVICE between Monday - Friday on the days they are most needed by the communities we serve. 

 

All Monday to Friday daily commuter and education services will be unaffected by this action. 

 

We want to ensure consistency for all passenger using our bus services during the week between Monday and Friday, so that they can be assured there will be no changes to their midweek service timetables. 

 

The reason for such a purposeful response, is that we absolutely do not want to adopt a strategy of dropping services ad-hoc; on any given day due to available driver resources.

 

Many of our passengers are elderly or vulnerable or walk substantial distances to wait for hourly or half hourly services.

 

Many don't have access to digital or social media, many don't have bus shelters to wait in and as a rural operator, it is without doubt in the best interest of passengers to ensure they have clarity on what is and isn't available before setting off. 

 

Clarity is key as we hope LCC will now step in and support our Saturday services with their own Teckle Company - Transport Connect and the funded Call Connect DRT services.

 

The bus driver shortage is a national issue escalated by the impact of HGV recruitment, online shopping delivery roles - with PCV drivers choosing less stressful employment options. 

 

Heightened on-bus COVID responsibilities and passenger management have meant many are looking for alternative career options. Over the past 20 months they've had the opportunity to evaluate what's important to them being at the forefront and serving the public daily throughout.  We absolutely support any decisions any have taken in theirs and their family's best interest.

 

Wage levels are of course a significant issue, it's a trained profession which requires multiple licences/ CPC's, elevated DBS clearances and holds a lot of daily personal responsibility for each driver.  

 

Without regional funding and support for the operation of rural bus services; rural operators like ourselves simply cannot reach wage levels that compete with HGV, or indeed many of the local warehouse distribution operations and online delivery services, here in Lincolnshire. 

 

Substantially increasing fares to meet the professional wage deficit is not an option, given we serve some of the lowest socio-economic and sparsely populated areas in the country, whilst also delivering some of the longest bus service routes. 

 

On a more positive note, we have a fantastic team here and our driving team is and remains incredibly supportive and hard working.  Our hope is to reintroduce Saturday services levels from 03/04/2022 and we are liaising closely with Lincolnshire County Council Transport Team on this timeframe.  

 

We hope to be able to inform passenger shortly of any alternative timetabled Saturday operations put in place.

 

The following Saturday only timetables will be affected.

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Boston Town IT1/2/5/6

Spalding Town IT1/IT2

A6 Horncastle - Boston

A8 Horncastle - Horncastle 

IC7 Skegness Boston 

B11 Spilsby - Boston 

B13 Boston - Spalding 

B15 Boston - Woodhall

IC5 Lincoln - Boston 

G61 Boston - Fishtoft 

K58 Boston - Kirton

K59 Boston - Spalding 

 

Call Connect can be contacted for bookings on 0345 234 3344 to make a CallConnect on demand booking or book online https://bit.ly/3jBuMPg 

 

Further Focus. 

A driver training academy has now been created at Brylaine and we would welcome applications and interest from people who would like to consider PCV driving as a career step. It is a fantastic job, a job for life especially in the communities we serve. More information can be accessed via our website www.brylaine.co.uk/training or by emailing enquiries@brylaine.co.uk

 

Marrianne Garbutt

Managing Director 

 

Brylaine 

291, London Road, Boston, 

Lincs. PE21 7DD