Go North East forced to cancel several journeys due to driver shortages and sickness

The bus company has blamed the cancellations on the national driver shortage and has apologised for the effect it has had on passengers using a number of Go North East Services.

Areas including Sunderland, Washington, Houghton, County Durham, South Shields and Newcastle have all been affected by the issue.

It comes after transport company Stagecoach buses warned of disruption to services at the weekend with an increasing number of drivers having to self-isolate due to the impact of Covid.

A statement on the Go North East website reads: “Due to the current national driver shortage which is affecting all sectors, and higher-than-usual levels of sickness absence, some journeys are not expected to operate.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Please do not take any issues out on our team who are at work and operating our other journeys, as it's not their fault. They, like everyone else, are trying their best to operate as good a service as possible.”

A number of areas across the country have seen services suspended or disrupted due to driver shortages.

Both Brexit and covid have been blamed for contributing to the problem.

The issue of lorry driver shortages has also been widely publicised nationally, with concerns it could push up inflation.

A full list of services affected can be seen at the Go North East website via www.gonortheast.co.uk/short-notice-cancellations , where passengers can get travel information.

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