Cwmdown always had the same problem when they ran two buses.
It might be something to do with regulations in regards to bus driving (technically they’re all bus drivers – or at least Cwmdown are).
BPW typically run 5 buses at the weekend in 2, 2, 1 formation. They could stagger it, first driver take lunch 12-1, second drivers 1-2 and last driver 2-3 – okay 2pm lunch is a bit late, but they don’t start till 10.
But I think it would be worse over-all for riders – first bus is at 10am, last bus leaves at 16:15 so there’s only 6 hours of uplift – if they staggered lunches you’d have 2 hours in the middle of it when they’re almost at half-strength and an hour when they’re a bus down. Compounded by a quicker café and generally shorter break by the riders.
It’s a pain standing in a queue to get lunch for an age, but it’s better than waiting in a queue for the bus in the rain and you I’ve always managed to have lunch, a bit of a chat and strolled back up to the pick-up within the hour.
If you’re really bothered, it’s pretty easy to push/pedal up to the ‘proper’ start of Terry’s Belly and back down again in 30 mins, even for a slightly over-weight old man like me.
