"Now we're short of bus drivers!"

From The Daily Mail:

The driver shortage across the UK has now spread into the bus network as public transport staff swap bus routes for work as truckers.

The wage increase promised to attract new HGV hauliers has led public transport staff to make a change, impacting the number of journey's on offer and resulting in the axing of others. Bus drivers can earn £32,500 on average, but can now earn up to £78,000 behind the wheel of a lorry instead.

Well of course, this was bound to happen. Anybody who's mastered the skill of negotiating buses through congested cities and along narrow country lanes (as well as the stress of idiot passengers and trying to stick to the timetable) will master lorry driving within a couple of days.

So then wages for bus drivers will go up a bit, and more people will train up to be bus drivers, ex-bus drivers will go back into bus driving etc.

In free markets, this sorts itself out, usually much sooner that you'd expect. And on another bright note, my assumption that the petrol queues would fizzle out after two weeks appears to have been correct. I went for 'two weeks' because that is the typical gap between visits, there is of course a wide spread.

Supermarket boss moans about consequences of underpaying staff.

From The Mirror:

Iceland managing director Richard Walker said: "Nationwide, the UK is currently short of at least 100,000 HGV drivers – the truckers we all rely on to keep us supplied with our food and other daily needs. This is due to a combination of factors, including our historic failure to value this essential work correctly..."

English deer messes up badly

Headline from The Daily Mail: Oh deer! Incredible pictures after animal jumps THROUGH the windshield of a tractor trailer truck and lands in the cab.

"What's a 'windshield'?" thinks the poor ruminant, "Don't they mean 'windscreen'?

"A 'tractor trailer truck'? Is that alliteration or does it just mean 'big lorry'? 'Cab'? Is that like an official taxi, or am I thinking of a 'mini cab'?

"While I'm on the topic, does 'black cab' mean a London Taxi because they are traditionally painted black? Or does that mean a cab driver who doesn't pay tax?

"And is the driver completely drunk or something, he's on the wrong bloody side of the road! Fuck!"

Duly befuddled, at the last second, our English deer abroad decides to jump to safety on the passenger seat. Only problem is, not only do the Yanks drive on the wrong side of the road, they have the steering wheel on the wrong side of the vehicle as well, and he ends up being crushed by death behind the steering column.

Bloody Hell, that was quick ...

Tim W linked to this article this morning:

A superlorry, which is 24ft longer than a bendy bus and as heavy as a fully armoured Challenger 2 tank, will take to the roads for the first time today....

However, the Government has refused to allow road trials because it is concerned about undermining the market for rail freight. It also fears they would be unpopular with car drivers.

Mr Denby claims his superlorry is permitted under the 1986 Road Vehicles Regulations, which state that “certain vehicles” may be permitted to draw more than one trailer and can be up to 25.9m (85ft) in length. This section was apparently intended for the recovery of broken down trucks but the regulations do not mention that.

The DfT said it believed Mr Denby’s superlorry was illegal but it admitted that the issue of length came under “quite a fiddly bit of legislation”. A spokeswoman said: “I couldn’t really tell you if there was a loophole...”

Lincolnshire police intends to allow Mr Denby to drive a couple of miles before stopping him and inspecting the vehicle at a layby on the A46 Lincoln bypass. A police spokesman said: “Lincolnshire Police will be enforcing the law and stopping the road train to investigate any construction and use offences which may be found...”

At 13:07, the BBC reported:

A 25.25m (83ft) long so-called superlorry has been blocked from being driven on public roads by police in Lincolnshire. The new longer vehicle was being driven from the headquarters of owners Denby Transport, in Lincoln, when it was stopped earlier... Denby Transport said its lawyers believe the lorry complies with all the current regulations.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: "There are a set of 'construction and use' regulations within British law which cover the use of motor vehicles on UK roads, "These include regulations on length, width and towing capacities of various classes of vehicles. If the Denby road train falls outside these definitions then it will be deemed to be illegal on UK roads. Therefore Lincolnshire Police will be enforcing the law and stopping the road train to investigate any... offences which may be found."

Best go on the safe side, lads? Nick 'em just in case. These stinkers, paying their road tax and fuel duties and then having the temerity to whizz up and down public highways delivering nasties like cornflakes and soap powder. Possibly to terrorists or somebody.