bus strikes

[donnajunkie]

hi,
is there anywhere that i can keep up to date with the latest info about the forthcoming bus strikes?
i have heard that they will be striking on the 22nd may. this is really bad for me because i am due to travel to the lakes on that day for a weeks stay. i rely on public transport and dont have much money. i hate the thought that the money i have paid for my stay might go down the drain because bus drivers choose to wait until the tourist season has started to strike. at very least they could just strike on town services that dont effect tourists.

[kelvyn]

The first day of the strike is Monday 10th May, and even now it is not clear what is to happen. This is being covered in the News and Star where you are most likely to find the latest news on the situation.

[ParrotBoy]

Although, if they only striked when it wouldn't cause inconvienience, it wouldn't be a persuasive way of doing things...

[donnajunkie]

thanks for your replies.
i see todays strike has been called off. is it just for further negotiation? it did not say on teletext. according to an email i got from stagecoach last week there is a threat of strike action on the 22nd and 25th of may.
i understand that a strike has to cause inconvenience and i do sympathise with the drivers. cumbria is different to teesside which is were i am. cunbria is a tourist destination. were i am strikes only effect people going to work or going shopping. they dont effect people who have spent time and money organising a stay in the lakes. arent strikes meant to hit the companies profits more than the customers. afterall making themselves unpopular withe the public is the last thing they want to be doing.
why not hit town services in places like carlisle and barrow. while leaving buses within and to the lakes alone and also leaving alone long distance services like the 685. they could do this throughout the summer until perhaps late september and then if they still are getting nowhere with the company then perhaps consider a county wide strike.

[kelvyn]

It looks like the bus dipspute is over. There is to be a meeting very soon to iron out the last few details of the pay negotiations.

The bus services in Cumbria are mainly by people getting to and from work and children to and from school. On some routes, such as the Honister Rambler, there is significant tourist use, but on most routes the proportion of tourists is relatively small. I think more publicity should be given to the discount period tickets available on StageCoach, which would posibly persuade more tourists to use our public transport.

[donnajunkie]

i am quite surprised that many people use them for work and school because the timetables seem to be designed to target tourists. there seems to be few buses early morning and in the evening for example.
you are right about the publicity issue to get more tourists using the buses. one problem is that any advertising or literature about cumbria buses is only available in cumbria. i have never seen any advertising for cumbria and public transport there on tv, in newspapers or anywhere else. if people think they cant get there by public transport then they will go by car. also i can see how the inconveneience will put off some people. for example when i travel i have to get a bus from were i live to newcastle, then get the 685 to carlisle, then get the 104 to penrith, then the x4/x5 to keswick and so on depending on were i am staying in the lakes. there used to be a summer service direct to the lakes from teesside but it got cancelled supposedly because it was not used enough. it seemed to be busy when i used it though.

[ParrotBoy]

I admit that I have only ever been on the Windermere - Keswick route, but it takes a lot of kids to school from places like Rosthwhaite etc and I've never seen more than a couple of people on it at one time that looked like "tourists"

[donnajunkie]

thats bizarre. anytime i have used the 555 or the 79 i only see tourists on it. i remember using the 505 from coniston once at about 8am and there was not even any school kids on that. i'm not saying you are lieing. i am just saying how odd it is that you hardly see tourists on the buses while i only see tourists on the buses.

[ParrotBoy]

Strange - To be fair I'm usually there early March and September/October, so its not exactly height of the tourist season, but I would have thought that the number of kids would be pretty constant - baring school holidays... Perhaps I've just been lucky... (Less tourists = more space to store my bag = lucky )