Stagecoach Manchester

[126th street]

RE: Stagecoach Manchester

(24/06/2013 14:30)Polo Mint Wrote:  What about new drivers? Would be difficult for them to learn every route.

How are rotas allocated/chosen? I assume timetables are not permanent, but can drivers choose what shifts or routes they work or are they given at random?

My experience is that new drivers eventually learn all routes, but not at one go.

As for rotas and choices, it's a complicated thing and no doubt varies from company to company. Some rotas are more desirable than others - for example one which includes lots of short-distance town services is never going to have drivers queuing up to get on as such work becomes very boring, very quickly. However some drivers like that.

Other rotas might include longer-distance work, or only a handful of round trips per day, and these are normally the most popular ones. Others might include a spare rota - that is, drivers book on at the time as posted and are allocated work as and when needed such as when someone phones in sick. They might also be used as holiday cover.

Such things as school rotas, the really undesirable stuff, often have 'sweeteners' on there such as no late turns or Sundays. Equally split turn rotas can be Monday to Friday only as an incentive for drivers to do them.

Vehicles are sometimes a factor also. If a depot has a brand new fleet for route 123 then the rota which covers that will be more desirable than the one which works mainly route 234 with a bunch of 15-year old Darts, for example. Busier routes are often not as popular with drivers as those which carry little, the list is almost endless. That's before you get into four-day weeks against five-day weeks...

As for allocating drivers to rotas there might be a waiting list for the better ones. Alternatively when a vacancy comes up a memo might be posted inviting those interested to let 'the office' know. Either the most senior driver will get the position in this scenario or it can be judged on other factors. Everything differs between companies and you might well find that at Company A's depot 1 they do things a lot differently to depot 2.