18 Jun 2016, 1:20 pm
#423
(18 Jun 2016, 12:54 pm)Dan Feel free to question it - but how do you know that Go North East are measuring passenger numbers between two locations on ticket machine data alone?
The news page refers to the real-time information system fitted to each bus which has allowed the company to build more realistic and achievable timetables - but I see no mention of how the company gathered their information regarding passenger numbers.
For all you or I know, Go North East could have allocated a resource to stand at Newcastle Business Park to record how many people were alighting at these stops. If this was done over a few days/weeks, the company could get an average figure for how many passengers are alighting at Newcastle Business Park over the course of the day. I am not suggesting that this has been done, but it is a possibility, and a way in which the 28 passes could have been captured.
They could also use the key cards to show travel patterns...
Say someone gets on at blackhall mill and only travels to Blaydon and gets 49 to winlaton. GNE would be able to see that they got off at Blaydon based on the fact they scanned their pass on the 49 at Blaydon.
Based on this method they would be able to determine who gets on at Blackhall Mill and who gets off at the Business Park by seeing who re-scans their pass from the same point going back toward BHM
