A bus company has apologised as passengers grow increasingly frustrated at services that fail to turn up. The trentbarton services have even been branded "ghost buses" by people affected.
One passenger, who asked to remain anonymous, explained they travel from Sandiacre to Nottingham city centre for work. The passenger added: "The displays on the bus stops show the timings as 'on time', but the bus never shows.
"I usually catch the 6.11am and the bus doesn't show. I'm left waiting another 20 minutes then, so I have to wake up earlier to make sure I catch the bus.
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"I've been late to work and coming back home as well. I feel quite frustrated because it is not like we have other options, this is the only option.
"There is only one line into the city for us. trentbarton has been completely unreliable, unresponsive and irresponsible about the services that they are supposed to provide."
The passenger says the services have been branded “ghost buses” on social media. "Everyone is completely tired of coming to the bus stops for buses that never come," she adds.
According to the operator there is a national shortage of drivers, prompting the issues. Unite the Union says it is a "highly disturbing picture" for passengers, as drivers leave jobs due to working conditions and pay.
Trentbarton's driving team currently has 130 vacancies, the operator says, which is 17% short of what is required to run a full timetable. Unite's general secretary, Sharon Graham, had said: "Bus companies have got to stop trying to sweep driver shortages under the carpet and start tackling the fundamental problems in the industry.
"That starts with eradicating low pay. If this isn’t swiftly addressed, shortages will only get worse."
A trentbarton spokesman addressed the concerns and added: “We apologise to customers for the few occasions where we must withdraw services due to the ongoing and severe national shortage of bus drivers.
“We are running around 97% of services and have been working hard to recruit and train more drivers. We currently have a record number of trainees at our academy who will be behind the wheel on our services as soon as possible.”
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