It’s not the same job though. Hence why ‘city’ bus driver never usually drive tour buses. It’s usually a different fleet with different drivers.
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McGill's Buses - Renfrewshire & Inverclyde
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It's very much the same job when you break it down to be honest but the tour operation is a less stressful experience and as I say if the tour drivers are getting £13 an hour then the city drivers absolutely should.
Stan Drews
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I don’t recall anyone whinging when they started working with FlixBus, so not sure why tour work is getting some people excited?
Any business that seeks to stand still and doesn’t keep up with the changes or look at ways to diversify into potential new revenue streams, is likely to go under eventually. (See FW Woolworth)
Any business that seeks to stand still and doesn’t keep up with the changes or look at ways to diversify into potential new revenue streams, is likely to go under eventually. (See FW Woolworth)
I think it depends on your point of view. I think city centre traffic all day can be pretty stressful. Plus they are paid more to give a better level of customer service and maintain the reputation of the city they operate. Do you think a private hire driver should get paid the same as a limo driver?
To be fair I didn't whinge at all. Just raised a perfectly valid point regarding wages in an industry where they badly need to increase
Every driver needs to give their best level of customer service regardless IMO. That's a tougher comparison to be fair
It's the same as far as the physical actions of driving a bus is concerned, but arguably tour work requires drivers who can exhibit a higher standard of customer care than that expected on stage-carriage work.
The fact they don't aim for the highest standard with every driver in itself is worrying regardless of what work is done.
Jordan Adam
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Does Dundee count?...
Glasgowbusguy
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Also from my recent experience McGill's do not seem to have anywhere the driver issues that first have
It does definitely seem that way but the key thing that helps is that McGill's seem to adjust their timetables far quicker than anyone else when they've had issues. Their app also seems far more stable and it seems obvious when something is actually missing. I also noticed on Saturday that their ticket machines scan far quicker than First's
Glasgowbusguy
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The McGill's app is absolutely night and day Vs the first app
I use the 9/A and I see 2 or 3 McGill's 38 for every 9/A. Now with the young person's pass my younger sibling pretty much always use the McGill's bus as it's more comfortable , reliable
They've definitely got a lot better over the years. I've not used them regularly but when I did for college around 2012-13 they really weren't great and buses failed to turn up without warning a lot but even maintenance etc now seems a lot better than previous times.
Glasgowbusguy
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Yeah I have jumped the 38 a few times in recent weeks and if it wasn't for the fact that I live in the east end of Glasgow , I would happy switch from first to McGill's
I definitely wouldn't be against it either to be fair. I don't really see them ever expanding too much though in Glasgow given First's dominance for so long.
Glasgowbusguy
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I honestly don't think they would have to do much to win a significant customer base if they target certain routes
E.g. extend there 38 to the fort
Come after parkhead to city center via gallowgate maybe with an extension on to the 3 .
Those two changes would give a new choice to a significant customer base and also be a new route as the links east to South are pretty crap from first.
Trnsprt4Sctlnd
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And thankfully for the most part they're prohibited by lack of drivers.
Glasgowbusguy
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It would not need that many extra drivers tbh. It would be a good thing as too often First shafts the east end, so competition would be good.
Still need to find drivers to cover existing work and then drivers who might not be interested in doing work into the East end. It would be an instant no from me if I was going for a job and that was the routes. Its not just as easy as employing a driver not every driver wants to do that type of work
markymark2000
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I don't think they want the competition either. Especially against First who have a habbit of flooding routes when they get competition so not only does First lose out but as does the competitor. What I am surprised at though is that McGills has some random indies in their areas and I thought they would have tried to get rid of them by now by competing. Like the 2 firms in Greenock for example.
It'll be interesting to see if they make changes to counteract the trains from Glasgow to Gourock/Wemyss Bay to be honest. The last train to Wemyss Bay is before 8pm currently. I suppose the SPT 576/578 cover things a bit granted I forget the exact route of them.
Glasgowbusguy
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The issue is at the moment do first have the drivers to cover a surge , if not that means pulling drivers from already short services .
Trnsprt4Sctlnd
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No company now has the drivers for a “surge”.
Tom Gallacher
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With fuel prices at what they're currently are it would be suicidal for bus companies to get into a "turf war" at the moment.
Dfatcontroller
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McGills Tourismo 0640 - BV71HYL has joined 0638 + 0639 in Flixbus livery.
Seen arriving at Buchanan Bus Station last night,
Seen arriving at Buchanan Bus Station last night,
How does the McGills Flixbus operation work in terms of staffing and crew rest?
Last edited by a moderator:
Stan Drews
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It is double crewed, with the daily rest taken either in London, or back at base in Inchinnan.
markymark2000
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I believe that the crew go to London, have a full break down there, then return 12 hours or so later. (so day crew only do the day trips and then rest during the night, night crew rest during the day)
I see, I knew it was double crewed. I took the 030 down to London and there was two drivers. Was the Volvo coach, the Merc looks longer.
While there is some overlap between the two threads, could we make sure that questions that relate to Flixbus operations are asked in the correct thread, please?
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