NippyBus

[DaveHarries]

Well it seems that another operator has gone out of business. This time NippyBus (Yeovil). The message that was apparently sent out (see the end of the article) makes the boss (or whoever sent it) sound a thoroughly unpleasent character. What a way to dismiss your staff!

http://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/online-post-suggests-nippy-bus-698440

RIP NippyBus.
Dave

A post on social media tonight (October 29) seems to indicate that a major Somerset bus operator has ceased trading completely.

A message reportedly sent out to drivers at the company has been posted online, stating that “the gates are now closed and will not open”.

The company's Twitter page which is used to update customers has also seemingly disappeared.

 

[bussnapperwm]

The message sent to staff is completely disgusting. That person who sent it out should not be left alone with a bus, let alone a bus operator

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's certainly incredibly unprofessional. Though as a passenger my experience of the extremely poor quality of staff employed at many smaller "cowboy" operators doesn't make it unbelievable. Of course, the person responsible for the selection of the staff is.....

 

[DaveHarries]

As an aside a screenshot was circulated on a bus group on Facebook: it shows the message and the words are as given in the article. I saved the picture from the bus group. I think whoever sent it should be ashamed with themselves for the diabolically unprofessional wording of that message. IMO a dose of public shaming of the said individual might not be a bad thing either.

Dave

 

[bnm]

Confirmation that Nippy Bus has ceased trading.

http://www.nippybus.co.uk

 

[THarris123]

Do we know who's picked up their work today?

 

[DaveHarries]

Nobody as far as I know but Buses of Somerset have posted this on their Facebook page:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Buses of Somerset is concerned to hear that bus operator Nippy Bus ceased trading over the weekend, and the impact this will have on many rural communities and the workforce and their families. We can confirm we are in emergency talks with Somerset County Council regarding cover, but this is likely to be limited due to operational constraints.

We encourage former Nippy Bus drivers to contact our head office in Taunton (01823 254622) for a chat about potential opportunities and an application form. While we have limited vacancies at present, we are always interested in speaking to people with the right skillset.

Aled S Williams
Acting Operations Manager"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Good to see that BoS are offering hope to the newly redundant NippyBus drivers.

Dave

 

[gordonthemoron]

seems to have been written by a Geordie

 

[Statto]

Made BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-41801760

Staff at a bus company have been sacked after the boss told them in an internal memo he could not work with them "a moment longer".

Employees at Nippy Bus, which operated services across South Somerset, received a message to "consider themselves dismissed/redundant".

It continued: "I am quitting to pursue my dream of not having to work here."

The company's customer website said it has ceased operating with immediate effect.

Image copyrightNIPPY BUS
Image captionStaff were sent the message over the weekend
Driver Steve Atkins told BBC Somerset that he was "very angry that it was done that way".

The internal message, which was sent over the weekend, said the company had "ceased operational activity with immediate effect" from Sunday.

It added: "There is a difference between giving up and knowing when you have had enough.

"I have had enough and realise I cannot work with you, the people I employ, a moment longer."

Image copyrightNIPPY BUS
The memo also says that "the gates are now closed and will not open so you [staff] can stay in your scratchers Monday and have a lie in".

Sydney Hardy, managing director of Nippy Bus, could not be contacted for a comment.

Somerset County Council says it is in talks with alternative bus operators to try and restore as many services as possible.

 

[CD]

N8 Yeovil to West Coker / N9 Martock to Yeovil.

A new combined service 52 operated by Buses of Somerset will be in place from Wednesday 1 November. Details of the new timetable will be available shortly.

667 Street to Wincanton

South West Coaches have taken on this service and will run the same timetable as before from Tuesday 31 October

669 Shepton Mallet to Street

We are currently in discussions with an operator regarding a replacement service on this route, but it will not be in place tomorrow. For Tuesday 31 October, extra capacity will be made available on service 649 provided by Frome Minibuses, which will operate via the route of the 669 between Shepton Mallet and Strode College. The vehicle will have capacity for an extra 30 passengers to provide transport for College students.

N6/N8/N11 – Demand Responsive services

In the short term we are talking to Community Transport providers about establishing a limited Dial-a-Ride service in the areas previously served by Nippybus DRT. We hope to provide details in the next 24/48 hour

 

[DaveHarries]

N8 Yeovil to West Coker / N9 Martock to Yeovil.

A new combined service 52 operated by Buses of Somerset will be in place from Wednesday 1 November. Details of the new timetable will be available shortly.

667 Street to Wincanton

South West Coaches have taken on this service and will run the same timetable as before from Tuesday 31 October

669 Shepton Mallet to Street

We are currently in discussions with an operator regarding a replacement service on this route, but it will not be in place tomorrow. For Tuesday 31 October, extra capacity will be made available on service 649 provided by Frome Minibuses, which will operate via the route of the 669 between Shepton Mallet and Strode College. The vehicle will have capacity for an extra 30 passengers to provide transport for College students.

In response to that:

- IIRC the NippyBus N9 between Martock and Yeovil replaced First S&A (as then was) Service 52 over that route so it seems that things will go back to how they were but will incorporate the route of Service N8.

- I think that SWC had the 667 previously before loosing it to NippyBus on tender. Nothing on social media or their website from SWC about taking the 667 on but I guess something will appear soon.

- As for the 669: I wonder if Frome Minibuses will take on the route. THey had it previously but haven't operated it since 12th June 2016 after which NippyBus took it over under tender from SCC.

Dave

 

[THarris123]

In response to that:

- IIRC the NippyBus N9 between Martock and Yeovil replaced First S&A (as then was) Service 52 over that route so it seems that things will go back to how they were but will incorporate the route of Service N8.

- I think that SWC had the 667 previously before loosing it to NippyBus on tender. Nothing on social media or their website from SWC about taking the 667 on but I guess something will appear soon.

- As for the 669: I wonder if Frome Minibuses will take on the route. THey had it previously but haven't operated it since 12th June 2016 after which NippyBus took it over under tender from SCC.

Dave

Nothing about N10 though.

 

[LOL The Irony]

That is no way to treat your staff and I hope every staff member takes legal action against the way they were dismissed.

 

[DaveHarries]

Nothing about N10 though.

No indeed. I believe I am right in thinking that the N10C was taken by Buses of Somerset and with BoS being in talks with SCC regarding covering of some services I wonder if the N10 will be among them. They seem to have already made provisions for the N8 and N9 customers with the new Service 52.

Dave

 

[Busaholic]

If the 'gentleman' concerned applies to run buses again in the future then his 'previous' will not have been forgotten by the TCs.

 

[CatfordCat]

There have been cases where Traffic Commissioners have refused to accept the voluntary surrender of an operator's licence - even after operator has ceased trading or sold the operation - and have brought the operator / traffic manager to a public inquiry, which can lead to the licence being formally revoked and the 'good repute' of the transport manager being lost.

TC may well want to consider the withdrawal of registered services without the proper notice.

If any were council contracted services, I hope the council/s involved have a contract clause where, if an operator withdraws without giving proper notice, then the costs incurred getting an emergency contract running during that notice period can be deducted from whatever the council owes the outgoing operator.

Any redundancy issued would be something for the employment tribunals not the TC. Not sure if too many employment tribunal cases can be considered as a 'repute' issue by the TC.

 

[BestWestern]

Not the first tiny operator scraping by on marginal routes and, very often, questionable driving staff. Frequently the management are pretty iffy too. It's a tough place to be, and sometimes it's less than a sad loss when they disappear. I agree the TC might wish to have words.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

FWIW....

NippyBus weren't the usual, stereotypical fly by night operator. They didn't indulge in much outright competition aside from the main Martock service where they forced out First who, to be fair, were running some archaic and less than reliable fleet on their offering. Instead, they had a modern and relatively smart fleet, smart ticketing, and seemed to have carved a bit of niche in that South Somerset area. They'd grown in years taking on the odd tendered board as they came up.

I wouldn't seek to condone the behaviour of the owner/TM and I'm sure the TC will certainly have a good look at this, not least as this doesn't appear to have been an insolvency issue but a outright closure. The signs have been apparent that they've been struggling with driver retention - that may be a reflection on management style but also points to the wider driver shortage and a skewing of things with the Hinckley Point construction - why have the hassle of fares etc when you can drive a modern bus with workers on for as much money?

However, such a statement as was issued sounds like a person at the end of their tether. One wonders what precipitated that.... Another week of struggling to cover workings, someone else leaves, someone phones in sick....? However, clearly the best action would've been a structured and measured contraction (to better match work with resources) or to manage the outright closure properly.

One aside - it just goes to show how difficult it is in the industry as tenders are cut or reduced with an almost weekly capitulation by one firm or another and not always "cowboy" operators.

 

[BestWestern]

It is incredibly difficult out there, and indeed as you say not every operator going under has been of the dodgy variety. You have to wonder for how much longer there will continue to be a place in the mainstream industry for the small, local independent.

 

[GodAtum]

If any were council contracted services, I hope the council/s involved have a contract clause where, if an operator withdraws without giving proper notice, then the costs incurred getting an emergency contract running during that notice period can be deducted from whatever the council owes the outgoing operator.

That sounds very likely.

Anyone late to work or school because of this?

 

[daodao]

Made BBC News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-41801760

The disgusting text message was quoted on the BBC Today programme this morning.

 

[THarris123]

First Wells have picked up 669 for three weeks

 

[talltim]

If the 'gentleman' concerned applies to run buses again in the future then his 'previous' will not have been forgotten by the TCs.

From the tone of the message I suspect he wouldn't be upset if he never saw a bus again.

 

[overthewater]

It was on mentioned on the Jeremy vine show today just after half one

 

[AlterEgo]

One wonders what made the owner resent his staff so much.

 

[CD]

The Traffic Commissioner for the West of England has now finished its investigation into the matter and it concluded that Mr Hardy, whose registered address is in Martock, should be banned from operating public transport for the coming ten years.
Kevin Rooney, the West of England Traffic Commissioner, said Mr Hardy, had shown “utter contempt” for his staff and the community he served after closing his business in October 2017.

The company failed to give the Traffic Commissioner 56 days’ notice of its decision to stop running nine local bus services, which is a legal requirement.

The industry regulator added that Mr Hardy was perfectly entitled to bring the services, which covered routes to Ilminster, Yeovil and Wincanton, to an end but he should have given the proper notice.
“In closing his business as he did, Mr Hardy showed utter contempt, not just for his staff who were laid off with no notice, but also for the community which he served,” Mr Rooney remarked during a public inquiry.

The company’s licence was revoked at the hearing, with Mr Hardy – who didn’t attend – disqualified from holding another licence for 10 years.

The inquiry also noted that 19 prohibition notices had been issued for maintenance issues on Nippy Bus vehicles in the last five years including one bus missing a brake pad.
Alongside revoking the company’s licence and disqualifying Mr Hardy, the Traffic Commissioner also disqualified him from acting as a transport manager for 10 years.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

The Traffic Commissioner for the West of England has now finished its investigation into the matter and it concluded that Mr Hardy, whose registered address is in Martock, should be banned from operating public transport for the coming ten years.
Kevin Rooney, the West of England Traffic Commissioner, said Mr Hardy, had shown “utter contempt” for his staff and the community he served after closing his business in October 2017.

The company failed to give the Traffic Commissioner 56 days’ notice of its decision to stop running nine local bus services, which is a legal requirement.

The industry regulator added that Mr Hardy was perfectly entitled to bring the services, which covered routes to Ilminster, Yeovil and Wincanton, to an end but he should have given the proper notice.
“In closing his business as he did, Mr Hardy showed utter contempt, not just for his staff who were laid off with no notice, but also for the community which he served,” Mr Rooney remarked during a public inquiry.

The company’s licence was revoked at the hearing, with Mr Hardy – who didn’t attend – disqualified from holding another licence for 10 years.

The inquiry also noted that 19 prohibition notices had been issued for maintenance issues on Nippy Bus vehicles in the last five years including one bus missing a brake pad.
Alongside revoking the company’s licence and disqualifying Mr Hardy, the Traffic Commissioner also disqualified him from acting as a transport manager for 10 years.

According to Points West, they couldn’t contact him and believe he’s now in Thailand!

 

[Busaholic]

According to Points West, they couldn’t contact him and believe he’s now in Thailand!

Wouldn't be the first bus operator from this region who takes off to Thailand before being banned!