(18 May 2021, 7:42 am)ifm001 Depends on where you live really. I'm in GNE red zone and quite close to a border. I can go to Sunderland for cheap but to get to Newcastle it is 2 zones vs Stagecoach £4.70 day rider. So my area SNE os the value for money.
I think Stagecoach is the
cheapest wherever they serve if you are only using them. Like in my example, if only travelling as far as Wallsend or Sunderland (£4.30 or £4.70 on Stagecoach, £5.30 on GNE, unless a 5 to 25 or Flexi 5 ticket is used). GNE is always the
value for money as they have the biggest network, serving more of the region and offer alternative tickets like 24 Hours and £1 evening fares to offer better evening value unlike Stagecoach who still charge £4.30 for a day ticket at 7pm! and local savers, and 5 to 25 tickets all to save money. Personally I don't like how Stagecoach charge 40p extra for Gateshead High Street, Sunderland, South Shields and Ponteland on a plus ticket, as having two prices often makes customers buy the more expensive one just in case they might want to go somewhere they haven't planned, or don't fully understand the difference, like Wallsend being included in the Newcastle dayrider could be confusing when it's actually in North Tyneside, and yet Cobalt Business Park would require the plus ticket! For me Sunderland requiring all GoZones when all the way to Cramlington, Ashington, Blyth etc in Northumberland is all in the same GoZone as Newcastle/Gateshead/North Tyneside seems ridiculous and bad value.
Stagecoach is expensive for such a comparively small network. You can't go really far and make use of the fare like you can on GNE. Definitely think GNE need to improve ticket prices for short distances, but you're paying for all of the zone and free to explore that zone, which for Purple is good value really unless you only want to go into Newcastle. Gosforth being included on the North Tyne Saver means I can travel within the North Tyne boundary for £4, much cheaper and better value than Stagecoach within Newcastle and North Tyneside.
Happily, I don't use Stagecoach anymore, they pushed away my custom with their high fares, unreliable service and small network. Go North East gained my custom, and have secured it forever, with value for money fares, reliable services and their large network which theh invest heavily in and constantly improve unlike Stagecoach. Yes, I have to walk a bit, which is good exercise anyway, but once I've got a ticket I can go out and explore far and wide.
