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Stagecoach East Scotland drivers sent to Commonwealth Games despite driver shortage

Stagecoach East Scotland has been criticised for sending bus drivers down to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham amid a driver shortage and sea of cancelled services.
Stagecoach East Scotland has been criticised for sending bus drivers down to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham amid a driver shortage and sea of cancelled services.

Stagecoach has been criticised for sending drivers from the east of Scotland to the Commonwealth Games during a driver shortage.

The bus operator confirmed it sent a “small number” of employees to Birmingham for the international event, despite swathes of cancelled services.

The drivers normally work in the east of Scotland, which covers Tayside and Fife.

Stagecoach says any drivers sent to England for the 12-day long event will be coming back home imminently, amid calls to “focus on core services”.

Athletes like Eilish McColgan have won medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

It comes as a nationwide driver shortage has seen dozens of services cancelled daily in Tayside and Fife.

Passengers in Perth fear losing their jobs due to unreliable Stagecoach buses.

‘Small number’ of Stagecoach East Scotland employees sent to Commonwealth Games

A spokesperson for Stagecoach East Scotland said: “A small number of employees from East Scotland have been assisting in delivering bus services for a major international sporting event in the West Midlands.

“The vast majority of drivers being used for this national sporting event are from England, with only a very small number from Scotland who will be returning imminently.

“We have worked hard over the past year on the planning for this major event, however as with the majority of other businesses across the UK, we are experiencing unprecedented continuing issues as a result of the national skills shortage and coronavirus-related sickness, which is having an impact on the services we can currently deliver.”

A Stagecoach bus on Mill Street, Perth.

“Public transport plays a huge and vital role in major events, and we are proud our people have had the opportunity to take part in this national event.

“However, at the same time, we are working hard to minimise the impact on the services we provide to local communities here.”

‘Focus on core passengers and buses’

Perth city centre councillor Chris Ahern said drivers should not be diverted during the current crisis.

He said: “They need to be looking after their core passengers at home and concentrate on their core buses first.

“Services are struggling up here and are being cancelled every day.

“We need services to go back to normal before taking people from premises up here for events like this.

“It will take time to train new drivers up so once there is enough drivers and they have completed their training then they should be able to help out at events like the Commonwealth Games.”

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