Pricing
Pricing
(02 Sep 2019, 5:30 pm)Andreos1
Quite possibly, but there will be some give and there will be those who find it easier, cheaper and quicker to driver. The inelastic customers can quickly become elastic ones when circumstances change.
It costs more to get a new customer, than it does to keep an existing one.
NECA took over control from the TWITA, but the reach still doesn't seem to have got any further than the old offering and quite a bit of the transport policy seems to be devolved to some of the LA's.
QCS may have fixed that problem.
The prices you mention are interesting.
It doesn't seem two minutes ago, when I first brought the ridiculous fare system on the 20's to the forums attention. That was when a single fare between Durham and Houghton was a few pence shy of £4.
It is now just shy of £5.
A return ticket is £6.90.
A weekly ticket on the app is £25. Ideal for commuters, but no good to those who use the bus once or twice a week (in my case this was usually a return, but spread out over a few days).
There's a market out there, that is being ignored and/or exploited. I can't decide which.
In an industry that is seeing the bums on the seats fall, I find it extraordinary that nothing is apparently being done about the pricing structure or anamolies like we have both described.
Hopefully as it would improve it massively imo.
Personally I always thought it was down to the transfares with the metro and it effectively causing a cap on the max they could charge however when your cross the boundary they basically have a free for all and abuse it.
Some anomolies on the 20 though mind just looking at the prices, £4.60 for a single from Houghton to South Shields yet it's £3.70 for a two zone transfare for example. However in general they tend to be under the transfare. £3.60 East Rainton to Sunderland vs £4.60 to Durham for example.
Whatever it is it's delibrate (I'm bored tonight and was curious) and it's the same all over when crossing boundaries:
X45 Newcastle to Hamsterley £3.60 a extra on mile or so to Ebchester it's now £5.30
28 Newcastle to Birtley is £3.10 then to Ouston Crossroads it's now £4.60
55 Houghton to Easington Lane £2.10 but to South Hetton it's £3.60
19 Northumberland Park to Holywell £1.70 but to Seaton Delaval £3.10
20 Houghton to East Rainton £1.70 but to West Rainton it's now £3.10
(02 Sep 2019, 5:30 pm)Andreos1
Quite possibly, but there will be some give and there will be those who find it easier, cheaper and quicker to driver. The inelastic customers can quickly become elastic ones when circumstances change.
It costs more to get a new customer, than it does to keep an existing one.
NECA took over control from the TWITA, but the reach still doesn't seem to have got any further than the old offering and quite a bit of the transport policy seems to be devolved to some of the LA's.
QCS may have fixed that problem.
The prices you mention are interesting.
It doesn't seem two minutes ago, when I first brought the ridiculous fare system on the 20's to the forums attention. That was when a single fare between Durham and Houghton was a few pence shy of £4.
It is now just shy of £5.
A return ticket is £6.90.
A weekly ticket on the app is £25. Ideal for commuters, but no good to those who use the bus once or twice a week (in my case this was usually a return, but spread out over a few days).
There's a market out there, that is being ignored and/or exploited. I can't decide which.
In an industry that is seeing the bums on the seats fall, I find it extraordinary that nothing is apparently being done about the pricing structure or anamolies like we have both described.
Hopefully as it would improve it massively imo.
Personally I always thought it was down to the transfares with the metro and it effectively causing a cap on the max they could charge however when your cross the boundary they basically have a free for all and abuse it.
Some anomolies on the 20 though mind just looking at the prices, £4.60 for a single from Houghton to South Shields yet it's £3.70 for a two zone transfare for example. However in general they tend to be under the transfare. £3.60 East Rainton to Sunderland vs £4.60 to Durham for example.
Whatever it is it's delibrate (I'm bored tonight and was curious) and it's the same all over when crossing boundaries:
X45 Newcastle to Hamsterley £3.60 a extra on mile or so to Ebchester it's now £5.30
28 Newcastle to Birtley is £3.10 then to Ouston Crossroads it's now £4.60
55 Houghton to Easington Lane £2.10 but to South Hetton it's £3.60
19 Northumberland Park to Holywell £1.70 but to Seaton Delaval £3.10
20 Houghton to East Rainton £1.70 but to West Rainton it's now £3.10
