Lothian invests in maintenance
Driver environment
Complete refurbishment of the canteen and renewal of its equipment has been undertaken
With the building water tight and environmentally sound, the next stage of the plan was to radically improve all of the staff areas which were in need of it. In the short term it meant a move into portable buildings but the end result was worth waiting for. The whole of the canteen was completely remodelled so that it was more like a restaurant with comfortable high quality seating, tables and other fittings. In one corner a quiet area was created with leather sofas and low tables where drivers can relax between duties.
I’ve been in modern garages where the only catering provided is through vending machines but this is a long way from what Lothian wanted. Bill commented, ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day,’ and to this end the whole of the canteen kitchen has been refurbished with state of the art equipment, all of which is mounted on rollers so that it can be easily moved and kept clean. To further ensure that drivers can be properly fed when they are working the main meals are subsidised, though not items such as fizzy drinks. I joined Bill having lunch there, and can confirm that everything was tasty and of a good standard. It was noticeable that it was nowhere near as noisy as many canteens. I am told that it is well looked after by staff and treated with respect. Those few who had been accustomed to putting their feet on the furniture before were gently discouraged from doing so by other drivers. ‘A lot of our people have been here a long time and can see the changes,’ said Bill.
A relaxation area is provided in a corner of the canteen and there is also a quiet area
Pool, table tennis and snooker facilities in the games room
Other offices, including the paying in area and traffic office have also been upgraded and the washroom facilities have also been modernised in keeping with the rest of the building. A games room provides snooker, pool and table tennis tables as well as trophy cabinets.
Clearly proud of what has been achieved and with every right to be so, Bill commented, ‘It doesn’t look like a bus depot and it doesn’t sound like one either.’
New workshop
Building the new workshop facilities was the third stage of the redevelopment process and did not begin until the first two stages were complete. As Bill pointed out, all of the preparation, construction and commissioning work had to be undertaken while the depot continued operating and putting a full complement of buses on the road every day. Planning to ensure this happened was a key part of the process and required the provision of some temporary facilities.
The new workshop facility stands close to the entrance to the site, off Longstone roundabout, on what was formerly the staff car park and a bowling green. Occupying 50,000 square feet, one side of it comprises a main 11 bay workshop with nine Premier Pits and two hardstanding bays for which Somers Totalkare lifts are provided. These are all Bluetooth controlled. Lothian take them on five year service contracts and then trade them in against new equipment.
There is a central administration office area with a separate office for Workshop Engineer, Tony Wylie.
As well as the 11 bay facility, there is a triple lane ATF facility with 60m long pits and four sets of brake testers, beam testers and all the other necessary equipment as well as a separate VOSA office
Beyond this a full ATF facility with three separate lanes, each featuring fully equipped 60m pits. Four separate sets of brake testing equipment are installed on these lanes and there is a dedicated office for VOSA staff when they are in attendance.
Adjacent to the ATF lanes, though separated by a wall, is a three lane refuelling and washing facility. As at Lothian’s other depots, the washing equipment is by Christ.
A large stores area with counter and extensive racking is easily accessed from both of the workshop areas, as is a tyre store with all of the necessary equipment.
Further offices and a kitchen are provided at one end of the building where there are also two large meeting/training rooms that have a moveable wall enabling them to be linked together. Throughout the new premises LED lighting operating on a smart basis is employed, turning itself off automatically when there is nobody about. Glazing between the workshop and the offices is to a very fire retardant specification. The entire facility is monitored using CCTV.
Each bay of the main workshop has a large vertically rising and folding powered door and at each end of the three ATF lanes and the drive through wash/refuelling bays there are similar doors ensuring that they can be sealed and also that a comfortable working environment can be maintained.