Office staff called in to help drive local buses due to driver shortage

By James Smith

11th Nov 2022 | Local News

National Express says it has seven per cent fewer drivers than it needs (Image via NX)
National Express says it has seven per cent fewer drivers than it needs (Image via NX)

Office staff are being drafted in to drive buses around Kenilworth and Coventry as driver shortages continue across the region.

National Express Coventry said it's "all hands on deck" and that "everyone who can drive is driving" as it continues to look for more staff.

The operator, which runs the 11 and 24 buses through Kenilworth, says it has seven per cent fewer drivers than it needs and has introduced a ten-step plan to keep its service running properly.

It says drivers will now be paid more - up to £28,500 per year - following "close work with unions".

Part time and shorter week options are being offered, and full training is now being rolled out so new starters simply need a driving licence.

National Express is also investing in ten garages across the region and has created three new training schools.

A company statement said: "If you've been on one of our buses recently, you may have experienced a delay, it might have been very busy or even the bus might not have turned up. 

"We exist for our customers and, because we know how important it is to get you from A-B, we are sincerely sorry if we let you down. We wanted to let you know why this is happening and what we're doing about it.

"As things have re-opened post-pandemic, we've experienced a driver shortage in the West Midlands. And it's not just us, there's a shortage of drivers across the UK.

"We're known as a good employer in the West Midlands, which has helped cushion the blow to some extent but we still have seven per cent fewer bus drivers than we need - and that means sometimes services are late, busy or cancelled."

     

New kenilworth Jobs Section Launched!!
Vacancies updated hourly!!
Click here: kenilworth jobs

Share:

Related Articles

Police were called to Cryfield Grange Lane at around 1.30pm on Tuesday 21 November (image via SWNS)
Local News

UPDATE: Elderly woman dies after crash on edge of Kenilworth

There are two blocks of custody cells in Warwickshire (image via Warwickshire Police)
Local News

Custody cells in Warwickshire could be used as makeshift prison places as jails fill up

Sign-Up for our FREE Newsletter

We want to provide kenilworth with more and more clickbait-free local news.
To do that, we need a loyal newsletter following.
Help us survive and sign up to our FREE weekly newsletter.

Already subscribed? Thank you. Just press X or click here.
We won't pass your details on to anyone else.
By clicking the Subscribe button you agree to our Privacy Policy.