Pricing

Adrian

9,583

05 Aug 2017, 9:55 pm #966

(05 Aug 2017, 7:23 pm)Malarkey Don't expect the NE Smart Zone to be expanded into other areas such as Washington & Gateshead, was informed by Alan at Washington Travel Office the reason this hasn't happened is because Go North East has the monopoly of services, with no competition from the likes of Stagecoach and Arriva in the area, compared to the areas the Smart Zone operates currently, personally think I would rather see the Go-Ahead Group withdraw from area than be continuously robbed for bus fare on a monthly basis as let's face it, it won't be that long before i'll have to pay £2 or more for a single to The Galleries.

Perhaps your question would be better placed asking why Arriva or Stagecoach don't run services into Washington or Gateshead? There'd be little point having a scheme in an area with one operator, as you may as well buy their own product anyway. Washington couldn't realistically be added to the Sunderland scheme either, as then you would have to include other settlements - i.e. Houghton & Hetton. Which a Network One ticket would cover.

I do take the point about the increase of fares, and in my opinion, they're rising too rapidly. Certainly far beyond the rate of inflation.

(05 Aug 2017, 8:28 pm)Malarkey It is when you have to use Go North East as a bus operator, hell this upcoming Tuesday I am using Cross Country from Newcastle to York, then on Thursday I am using the Megabus from Leeds back to Newcastle which has only cost me £4 for each journey which is cheaper than a GNE 1 Zone Day Ticket, see below the cost comparison between GNE, SNE & ANE based on Day, Weekly and Monthly passes, does not include Route/Area Day, Weekly and Monthly passes as I am merely going off of cost of the operators standard tickets.

Stagecoach North East
Dayrider = £4 - 7 Days = £13.50 - Monthly = £51.50
Dayrider Plus (All Zones) = £5 - 7 Day = £16.00 - Monthly = £61.50

Go North East
1 Zone Day Ticket = £5.10 - 7 Days = £21 - Monthly = £68
2 Zone Day Ticket = £6.50 - 7 Days = £27 - Monthly = £89
3 Zone+ (All Zones) Day Ticket = £8 = 7 Days = £34 = Monthly - £105

Arriva North East - Northumberland & Tyne + Wear Tickets
1 Zone = £4.40 - 7 Days = £17.80 - Monthly = £65.00
2 Zones = £6.00 - 7 Days = £23.50 - Monthly = £85.00
All Zones = £7.00 - 7 Days = £26.00 - Monthly = £91.00

Are Go North East's fares justifiable now compared to it's competitors who are evidently cheaper.

All three of those operators are serving different areas, so you can't really compare them like for like. For example, your Megarider Plus all zones ticket is only actually Tyne and Wear. If you wanted to use the whole NE Stagecoach network, you'd need a Teesside & Hartlepool one too, which is another £59.50... a total of £121 a month.

You've also only included the Northumberland & Tyne and Wear tickets for Arriva. If you look at County Durham, the situation is a lot different. For example, Coxhoe/Kelloe to Durham is £60.00 a month on a Durham District ticket. Thornley to Durham (around the same distance) is £85.50 with a Durham County ticket. Why should that be the case?

The positioning of zones is the issue for me, rather than looking that prices of all zone tickets. On the most part, these 'simplified' zones, do not work in a customers favour, and you're often forced to purchase beyond what you should need. The boundaries of course have to be put somewhere, but there are ways and means of doing this so that customers don't lose out. e.g. the 'Newcastle City area' for GNE including Purple and Blue tickets, or the Arriva Durham District ticket being valid on the X12 through to Newcastle.

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