Accrington Pilkingtons Buses - Page 2

WillowTheWhisp · 23-01-2006, 22:07

I believe that Pilkington's had more than one warning but hadn't improved the standard of their buses.

Yes the drivers who drove the Fern Gore buses were great, very helpful, polite considerate etc. The Lancashire United drivers who now do the Fern Gore route are just as polite friendly and helpful because they are mostly the same drivers.

We have an ex-Pilky bus driver as a member here and he would be able to tell you more about the company from the insides.

If Pilkington's ever did get a licence again they would have to take on a whole new fleet of drivers because the others now all have jobs elsewhere.

Some of the reasons Pilky's were taken off the road may well have been trivial but safty is important and the ministry don't revoke licences for fun, they do it for the benefit of the passengers. If a bus had been inspected, was dangerous but was still permitted on the road and someone died as a result we would have more cause for complaint. I'd personally rather pay a few extra pence in bus fare than risk an injury or death. They weren't earth-shatteringly cheaper anyway.

My husband is a coach/bus driver and so I see things from the other side too.

Debbie J · 23-01-2006, 22:22

We used to hire Pilky buses on a regular basis. But due to the number of times they broke down, with up to 40 kids on board, the final straw being one had smoke pouring from the bonnet, we found another company.
Better they are off the road than a serious accident taking place.

shakermaker · 23-01-2006, 22:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Debbie J

Better they are off the road than a serious accident taking place.

again...........

shillelagh · 24-01-2006, 00:31

Many years ago i worked for a bus company (not Pilkies) and i worked in the fitting shop. Part of my job was keeping maintenance records and other records of the buses up to date and we had to keep them up to date because the department of transport could walk in at any time and ask to see them.

Pilkies buses were cheap but when i caught them sometimes i was a bit wary because of working for that bus company i had an idea of things what could go wrong and i got the feeling sometimes Pilkies werent right.

lettie · 24-01-2006, 05:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas_045

Whereas, these big companies (Lancashire
United) have the better buses, but have
the most stuck up, rude drivers ive ever
experienced.

How dare you make such a generalisation????? My dad is a driver for LU and was a driver for the old Accy Corporation. He is always polite, friendly and has a laugh with the people who use the buses. He has won countless safe driving awards and awards for being the nicest driver. If my dad has ever been rude to anyone it is because they were rude first.....Just like you have been with this statement..

chav1 · 24-01-2006, 05:40

a work collegue repeatedly got his wing mirrors knocked off his car by pilkingtons busses that went past his house and when he went to ask the owner of pilkingtons busses if he could have a word with the drivers about driving too close to parked cars the owner simply looked at him and told him to go away

also since pilkingtons busses have been taken off the road we no longer have busses accelorating as fast as they can along the road behind aldi to get back to their depot so in general it has become safer to cross the roads around here

yes yes yes i know not all of their employees drove like idiots but the road behind aldi was more like a race track for busses not a public road in a built up area

got to admit the fares were cheaper and i would never go against the underdog but a company that relies on the public for its income should realy keep good public relations as well as keeping its vehicles safe / upto the required standards

entwisi · 24-01-2006, 07:50

No there seems to be a few mis conceptions about here.

Pilkys were warned on NUMEROUS occasions about his buses not meeting the required safety standards.

Pilkys were also warned for not keeping to the agreed timetables.

They didn't 'make their money' from the public, most of the routes were heavily subsidised by the DOT. Without this cash Pilkies wouldn't have gone near most of the out the way routes

Whilst cheap fares are something that people want for it to there has to be the correct form of goverment subsidy. I very rarely use public transport because it a) doesn't run often enough, b) can't get me where I need to go, c) is expensive compared to running my car. If I was to try to get to work on PT I would need to catch teh first train out of Accy and it would get me approx 3 miles from my place of work by 10:45 and cost me £15 return. In my car I can leave home at 6 be at work for just before 7 and it costs me less than £12 including tyres/tax/servicing etc

Thomas, you say you are 16, why not get a moped? They are environmentally friendly, dead cheap to run and give you your independance. They will also teach you road sense that will make it easier for you to pass a car test when you decide to learn to drive.

Ian

thomas_045 · 24-01-2006, 15:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gayle

Shouldn't you be walking to work anyway, Thomas? Surely if you live in Ossy you shouldn't need to catch a bus to Ossy Mills, it's not that big a place.

No. Im not that lazy. I go to college 4 days week. Costing me £17. £7, if Pilkies were still in operation. Ah well.

thomas_045 · 24-01-2006, 15:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by entwisi

Thomas, you say you are 16, why not get a moped? They are environmentally friendly, dead cheap to run and give you your independance. They will also teach you road sense that will make it easier for you to pass a car test when you decide to learn to drive.

Ian

1) Half of the community complain about the mopeds, and stereotype all the drivers as young thugs, constantly breaking the law. So Id rather not.

2) Im nearly 17, and going to learn to drive. No point paying hundreds for a moped.

3) They, more than anything are death traps.

Ernie · 24-01-2006, 16:41

[quote=lettie]How dare you make such a generalisation????? My dad is a driver for LU and was a driver for the old Accy Corporation. He is always polite, friendly and has a laugh with the people who use the buses. He has won countless safe driving awards and awards for being the nicest driver. If my dad has ever been rude to anyone it is because they were rude first.....Just like you have been with this statement..

[/quote

Well said Lettie, I totally agree with you. I served 17 years as a bus driver in Accrington and I found Lettie's dad one of the nicest people that anyone would wish to meet, and I cannot recall personally any incident where I have been rude to passengers but if we were talking about rude passengers then there would not be enough space on this thread to include them, and I am not generalising either. I made a lot of good friends whilst I was on the buses.

garinda · 24-01-2006, 16:47

We saw a bus/car road rage on Rhyddings Street in Ossy this afternoon. The car driver was in the wrong, but got out of his car and pulled the driver from his bus.

All very frightening, and we didn't see how it ended as I managed to nip past all the argy bargy.

Thank goodness for little cars.

thomas_045 · 24-01-2006, 16:50

[quote=Ernie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lettie

How dare you make such a generalisation????? My dad is a driver for LU and was a driver for the old Accy Corporation. He is always polite, friendly and has a laugh with the people who use the buses. He has won countless safe driving awards and awards for being the nicest driver. If my dad has ever been rude to anyone it is because they were rude first.....Just like you have been with this statement..

[/quote

Well said Lettie, I totally agree with you. I served 17 years as a bus driver in Accrington and I found Lettie's dad one of the nicest people that anyone would wish to meet, and I cannot recall personally any incident where I have been rude to passengers but if we were talking about rude passengers then there would not be enough space on this thread to include them, and I am not generalising either. I made a lot of good friends whilst I was on the buses.

You should come with me and a few other Oswaldtwistle residents for a week or so on the bus runs. Its not just LU. Its the Rossendale bus service aswell. So I suppose I have stereotyped bus drivers for maybe just a minority of rude drivers. I appologise!

It was only yesterday when I arrived at the bus just as it close its doors, the driver was unimpressed and muttered "for f**k sake" under his breath as he had to open the doors again. What an awful shame it must of been for him. I chose not to take the matter to LU. As ive already complained many times.