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Bus company cancels 883 Northamptonshire services in August

BBC Stagecoach bus with passengers queuing to get aboardBBC
Stagecoach has cancelled 883 buses so far this month due to a lack of drivers

A bus company has cancelled 833 of its buses so far in August due to driver shortages.

Routes between Northampton and Kettering were among those halted by Stagecoach in Northamptonshire.

The company, which publishes all its cancellations online, apologised and said pressures would be "alleviated" as new drivers completed their training.

Stagecoach said it was focused on "prioritising services we know are most important for our customers".

"Our teams continue to work hard to ensure that we run the vast majority of our journeys and remain focused on prioritising services we know are most important for our customers," said a spokesperson.

Cormac Tubby
Cormac Tubby said lots of his colleagues who relied on the bus to get to work are often late

Cormac Tubby, 24, works at Moulton Park industrial estate, in Moulton, near Northampton.

While he uses buses to socialise, he said his colleagues were often late to work because of issues with the bus service.

"Guys who have come in an hour, maybe two hours late because they couldn't get a bus in. And it's the same going home," he said.

Andy Popper
Andy Popper said his bus was often late

Andy Popper, who works in Northampton as a refuse collector, said he paid £15 a week for a bus pass but often found they were cancelled within minutes of arrival.

"Then I'm late for work. One was delayed 25 minutes this morning. I rely on it. I catch one from a village to get here. Then the buses sit here without drivers," he said.

"They haven't got enough drivers. They need to offer more pay and get more drivers."

Olga Chetrari
Olga Chetrari has had her pay reduced as a result of being late for work due to her Stagecoach bus failing to show

Olga Chetrari, who lives in Northampton, said she relied on the bus to get to work.

"When it's not on schedule you are late for work, you are not getting paid. You need to get a taxi from your own money and it's frustrating," she said.

"I feel nobody cares about this. I feel abandoned."

Stagecoach bus
The Unite union says bus drivers are leaving the firm because of poor rostering and pay

The union Unite believed Stagecoach's main problem was an inability to retain drivers.

"A lot of them are disillusioned and leave within weeks," said Sean Kettle, Unite regional officer based at Northampton.

The union said bus drivers earnt £13.18 an hour but could earn more in different roles.

Stagecoach said the challenges it faced were industry-wide.

"We are seeing some of the pressure starting to be alleviated as new drivers complete their training and graduate our driving school," the spokesperson added.

"With the peak holiday season coming to an end also, we expect to see further improvements in service delivery."

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, which monitors bus services, said: "We welcome reports of commercial vehicle operators who are not meeting their punctuality and reliability standards and aim to investigate in all cases.

It was unable to comment on any investigation "that may or may not be ongoing".

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