Following the complaints I have received directly from constituents and those I have seen on local Facebook groups about the reliability of at East Yorkshire Buses (EYB) services, I arranged a meeting with Ben Gilligan, the Managing Director.
We had a constructive meeting in which I was able to raise all the issues I had been made aware of recently and bring up specific services I know have caused particular issues.
Mr Gilligan acknowledged that the last couple of weeks had seen a lot of problems with provision of services. These were primarily due to an increased number of vehicle breakdowns, as well as longer than expected delays to repairs.
He expects to see a much-improved service from next week as these return to service. Their electric fleet begins to arrive at the end of November and will be on the roads in January which will add further capacity and cover.
Service levels have also been impacted by staff shortages, and the company is now coming to the end of a recruitment and training process which began last year, and which he expects to address those problems.
He told me that the final intake of trainees will be coming into the workplace by the end of this month, which will see EYB fully staffed and with 15% more drivers than this time last year.
I asked about Hull Fair week and he assured me extra staff are being brought in from other depots to cover demand.
I raised the points made by constituents that half-hourly services should be prioritised against more regular services when cancellations were unavoidable. He said that this is already their procedure but would check with managers to ensure it was being followed rigorously.
I also alerted him to instances of last services from Hull Interchange being cancelled at the last moment, leaving people stranded.
He also agreed to review the sharing of timetable information with Hull CC, who are responsible for the online timetables, to make sure it is fully accurate and check all the route information on the app was up to date. Hull CC are also responsible for the installation and maintenance of the digi-boards on bus stops.
I know the changing of routes, bus numbers and timetables has been confusing for some, and he assured me that following the re-organisation of numbering – all the routes beginning with 5 are in West Hull, all those beginning with 3 run down Spring Bank etc. – and changes to routes and timetables to better cope with the expected traffic conditions, no further changes are planned beyond unavoidable responses to road closures.
Many people use buses for getting to and from work, education, important appointments visiting friends and family, and leisure. Buses also have a vital role to play in reducing congestion and pollution.
I will continue to bring constituents’ concerns to EYB and to hold them to the high standards of service that the people of Hull and the East Riding deserve. If you are a constituent please do not hesitate to let me know if you don’t see improvements.