Bus reliability pledge after drivers land 16% pay deal
BUS bosses are facing fresh scrutiny over timetables after drivers returned to work with an inflation-busting pay rise.
The huge walkout at National Express West Midlands paralysed services last week and diverted attention from months of delays and cancellations that left passengers furious.
Long before the strike, the company told customers it accepted it was not delivering a good enough service.
And now, with the dispute over and drivers pocketing a 16 per cent deal, the focus has reverted to service standards.
The company said it was taking steps to improve services including developing new technologies and being better informed about the impact of roadworks.
It said the best and worst routes for punctuality varied from week to week depending on factors including traffic and roadworks.
It said last autumn, routes using Digbeth High Street were badlyaffected by tram construction work, though that had now improved.
Routes serving the Coventry Road has also improved due to investment in Sprint bus priority measures, National Express claimed.
West Midlands mayor Andy Street said he would be “watching and holding National Express to account”.
He said: “Really pleased to see National Express buses back running
a normal schedule across the West Midlands. With the strikes over, NX now need to improve their service, particularly when it comes to punctuality and reliability.
“We are watching, and holding their performance to account.”
A National Express West Midlands spokesperson said: “We know one of the most important things for our customers is being able to rely on our buses.
“We are taking a number of steps to improve reliability, such as developing technology to better serve our customers and working closely with partners on issues like roadworks to minimise the impact on the travelling public.”
The 16.2 per cent pay deal also carried improvements to drivers’ accident pay and hourly rates for working over the Christmas holidays. National Express has also guaranteed to implement new terms and conditions agreed with the Unite union last November.
Unite hailed last week’s pay agreement as a “fantastic win”.
It tweeted: “A fantastic win by all the @nxwestmidlands bus drivers. All standing strong across the region has resulted in a inflation beating pay rise of 16.2%.”
However it was not universally appreciated with passengers expressing their frustration amid the vastly-reduced service.
The leader of Walsall Council Mike Bird told how he had no sympathy with the striking bus drivers.
“I think holding the general public to ransom like that was disgraceful,” he said. “I think they have been greedy in their demands and I think they didn’t give a damn about people on lower wages like people working in supermarkets who couldn’t get anywhere as a result.
“I’m glad it’s over because people can get back to normal life, but it is disgraceful. I had no sympathy with the bus drivers at all. They say ‘we’re sorry’ but they’re not sorry at all. But they’ve caved in now.
“All this does is give the business a bad name and gives the bus drivers a bad name.”
NX now need to improve their service... we are watching, and holding their performance to account. Andy Street