North East Buses

(24 Jul 2014, 8:23 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Oh right yeah.
Not good enough really.

I reckon it would be good for GNE to provide fare tables.

To be fair to them I got a very helpful response in the end, and what they're looking to do is create a fare calculator. Still a fiver out of pocket like.

(24 Jul 2014, 8:25 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]To be fair to them I got a very helpful response in the end, and what they're looking to do is create a fare calculator. Still a fiver out of pocket like.

Really? That's a great idea!
Must admit the fares on the Lime are ludicrous! If you come to North Tyneside the fares are actually quite good value for money. For example you can get to Blyth and back for £3.75. The price on the 78 from Stanley to Consett.

Fares will usually be cheaper where there is competition from another company, but traditionally singles have not been much less than a return. (It's always been the case on the railways; when I used to come up here house-hunting five years ago it was about £75 off peak return, £74 single Norwich to Bishop Auckland). Concession passes are usually reimbursed by the council according to the average single fare, so it's in the company's interest to keep singles high, but as the majority of passengers travel both ways you make the return fare more reasonable.

Noticed a post on GNE's wall earlier.

What's the difference between a child Day Rover ticket and a Nexus CAT ticket? Nexus advertise the CAT as valid on Bus, Metro, Ferry and Rail for £1.10, whereas the Day Rover does the same, but is £2.70 more?

(25 Jul 2014, 3:50 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Noticed a post on GNE's wall earlier.

What's the difference between a child Day Rover ticket and a Nexus CAT ticket? Nexus advertise the CAT as valid on Bus, Metro, Ferry and Rail for £1.10, whereas the Day Rover does the same, but is £2.70 more?

I believe you need a POP card for the Nexus CAT and don't for the other - Child Day Rover is probably designed for tourists and the like.

Forgot to upload this from earlier.

Zoomed in and cropped it a bit to emphasise the screen.

Still advertising the £11.50 family ticket.

A single from Sunderland to Peterlee is £5.70 - yet a East Durham day saver is £4.60, and valid on East Durham services 201, 202, 206, 208, 209, 238, 239, 259, 260, 265, 923, X35 and X7 (from S'land to Station Town)

(03 Aug 2014, 11:18 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]A single from Sunderland to Peterlee is £5.70 - yet a East Durham day saver is £4.60, and valid on East Durham services 201, 202, 206, 208, 209, 238, 239, 259, 260, 265, 923, X35 and X7 (from S'land to Station Town)

Yeah only GNE services Sunderland-Peterlee is X35/X7 so nobody should ever buy a Sunderland-Peterlee single or return! And that much for a single is outrageous!

(03 Aug 2014, 11:42 pm)Drifter60 wrote [ -> ]Yeah only GNE services Sunderland-Peterlee is X35/X7 so nobody should ever buy a Sunderland-Peterlee single or return! And that much for a single is outrageous!

It is - but what I don't get is how the single is priced at £1.10 more than the return?

I don't think it's right, but that's what it said on the GNE Facebook Page!

(04 Aug 2014, 7:58 am)Tom wrote [ -> ]It is - but what I don't get is how the single is priced at £1.10 more than the return?

I don't think it's right, but that's what it said on the GNE Facebook Page!

As I've said before in the transport industry return fares are often not much more than a single. For example the train fare Sunderland to Hartlepool is £6.50 single, £6.80 return. In many cases bus companies are reimbursed for concessionary travel according to either the average or the actual single fare so it's in their interest to keep them high, but as most people go there and back, you set the return fare for paying passengers at what the market will bear.

(03 Aug 2014, 11:18 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]A single from Sunderland to Peterlee is £5.70 - yet a East Durham day saver is £4.60, and valid on East Durham services 201, 202, 206, 208, 209, 238, 239, 259, 260, 265, 923, X35 and X7 (from S'land to Station Town)

X7 Pk Lane-Peterlee Bus Station £3.95/£5.50

X35 Pk Lane-Peterlee Bus Station £4.00/£5.70

(04 Aug 2014, 3:43 pm)minibus1474 wrote [ -> ]X7 Pk Lane-Peterlee Bus Station £3.95/£5.50

X35 Pk Lane-Peterlee Bus Station £4.00/£5.70

The X7 will be £4.00 now if that's the price.
Odd how they quoted the wrong fare.

(04 Aug 2014, 7:58 am)Tom wrote [ -> ]It is - but what I don't get is how the single is priced at £1.10 more than the return?

I don't think it's right, but that's what it said on the GNE Facebook Page!

You don't even need a three zone ticket between Peterlee & Sunderland, Turquoise & Red £6.20 covers that.
Due to the simplified price structure Middlesbrough-Sunderland won't be more than £6.20 as the day ticket costs that much.
Sunderland-Peterlee has got to be less than.

Seaham-Sunderland is £3.20 single, but Murton-Sunderland is £2.70 single however both are £4.50 return.

(04 Aug 2014, 9:31 pm)Drifter60 wrote [ -> ]Seaham-Sunderland is £3.20 single, but Murton-Sunderland is £2.70 single however both are £4.50 return.

I wonder if £5.70 is the return price then (but still the East Durham Saver is cheaper).

(04 Aug 2014, 9:36 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]I wonder if £5.70 is the return price then (but still the East Durham Saver is cheaper).

Think it might be. Obviously GNE will keep the East Durham Saver on the down low! Make people get a buzzfare instead!

(04 Aug 2014, 9:42 pm)Drifter60 wrote [ -> ]Think it might be. Obviously GNE will keep the East Durham Saver on the down low! Make people get a buzzfare instead!

Obviously?

If they didn't want people buying the ticket, they wouldn't have it available... It is there to be bought and to compete with competition from Arriva on their 2x services.

If Go North East kept quiet about this ticket, then custom could be lost to Arriva whilst these customers are under the impression that GNE's fares are ludicrously expensive.

(05 Aug 2014, 5:07 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]Obviously?

If they didn't want people buying the ticket, they wouldn't have it available... It is there to be bought and to compete with competition from Arriva on their 2x services.

If Go North East kept quiet about this ticket, then custom could be lost to Arriva whilst these customers are under the impression that GNE's fares are ludicrously expensive.

Well have you ever seen Customer Services tell anyone about the East Durham Saver?
Why didn't customer services inform the customer about this ticket?
Many a time I've commented on posts when people have been offered Buzzfares instead of this ticket.
Infact I'm struggling to remember when GNE last mentioned purchasing a route saver over the Buzzfares.
Also, didn't it take some time to get Buzzfares on the M-Ticket app?

From a business point of view, if you can upsell the customer the highest priced product possibly then that is in turn more profits. Particularly when the customer is still saving money from buying the equivalent single fares.

(05 Aug 2014, 10:33 pm)Drifter60 wrote [ -> ]Well have you ever seen Customer Services tell anyone about the East Durham Saver?
Why didn't customer services inform the customer about this ticket?
Many a time I've commented on posts when people have been offered Buzzfares instead of this ticket.
Infact I'm struggling to remember when GNE last mentioned purchasing a route saver over the Buzzfares.
Also, didn't it take some time to get Buzzfares on the M-Ticket app?

From a business point of view, if you can upsell the customer the highest priced product possibly then that is in turn more profits. Particularly when the customer is still saving money from buying the equivalent single fares.

I don't go through each and every post made by customers on Go North East's Facebook page. I use it when I want to know if there are any delays to services, diversions, or special events. I get in touch with the company via a message if I have a query (much more appropriate than a wall post in my opinion - why should my entire friends list have to see what my query is?). Quite frankly, I don't have time to read through wall post after wall post - when the majority of it isn't going to interest me at all in the slightest. If you have more time on your hands, you may be able to account for more instances whereby something has or has not been done.

Despite being an infrequent follower of these wall posts, I have still seen both Route Savers and BuzzFares advertised together. I find it usually depends on the wording of the wall post from the customer, as to whether the GNE bod chooses to include the detail about route savers or not.

From a business point of view, you want to ensure that you definitely keep custom. When launching the East Durham saver ticket, Go North East would have done their research on pricing strategies from competitors - making their product seem more attractive than any other similar product on the market. If a customer thinks that Go North East's prices are ludicrously expensive, they will look to see if there are any better alternatives. If there is, that's revenue lost to a competitor.

So no, I disagree with what you've said entirely. If there was no competition in that area, I'd be more likely to agree. In this case, an innocent mistake - right or wrong in that position, everyone makes them.

(05 Aug 2014, 10:42 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]I don't go through each and every post made by customers on Go North East's Facebook page. I use it when I want to know if there are any delays to services, diversions, or special events. I get in touch with the company via a message if I have a query (much more appropriate than a wall post in my opinion - why should my entire friends list have to see what my query is?). Quite frankly, I don't have time to read through wall post after wall post - when the majority of it isn't going to interest me at all in the slightest. If you have more time on your hands, you may be able to account for more instances whereby something has or has not been done.

Despite being an infrequent follower of these wall posts, I have still seen both Route Savers and BuzzFares advertised together. I find it usually depends on the wording of the wall post from the customer, as to whether the GNE bod chooses to include the detail about route savers or not.

From a business point of view, you want to ensure that you definitely keep custom. When launching the East Durham saver ticket, Go North East would have done their research on pricing strategies from competitors - making their product seem more attractive than any other similar product on the market. If a customer thinks that Go North East's prices are ludicrously expensive, they will look to see if there are any better alternatives. If there is, that's revenue lost to a competitor.

So no, I disagree with what you've said entirely. If there was no competition in that area, I'd be more likely to agree. In this case, an innocent mistake - right or wrong in that position, everyone makes them.

Forgot to mention - this was advertised on a Fast Cats Solar yesterday!

(06 Aug 2014, 8:36 am)Tom wrote [ -> ]Forgot to mention - this was advertised on a Fast Cats Solar yesterday!

Yup - should be advertised on the rear window of one of each batch (old and new Scania L94s)

(06 Aug 2014, 8:37 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]Yup - should be advertised on the rear window of one of each batch (old and new Scania L94s)

Was the one with a flip dot blind but don't know the fleet number.
Was impressed by the passenger numbers on the X36 mind!

Saw on the GNE Facebook Page when I looked for a the first time in a while that a single from Burnopfield to Craghead is £4, and Chester to Arnison Centre is £3.20. What a rip off!

Am I right in thinking that Scarborough - Whitby is 6 quid odd for a return, no matter where in between you are on the route, on service X93?

I was on the front seat of an Omni last Saturday and it certainly seemed that all passengers were being charged that... The driver was trying his best to palm the £7.50 day ticket on them too!

(14 Aug 2014, 7:38 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Am I right in thinking that Scarborough - Whitby is 6 quid odd for a return, no matter where in between you are on the route, on service X93?

I was on the front seat of an Omni last Saturday and it certainly seemed that all passengers were being charged that... The driver was trying his best to palm the £7.50 day ticket on them too!

Not the first time I've heard the £6 return from Scarborough to Whitby, so I'd assume you're right!

Out of interest, are Explorer NEs valid all the way to Scarborough on the X93?

(14 Aug 2014, 8:23 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Not the first time I've heard the £6 return from Scarborough to Whitby, so I'd assume you're right!

Out of interest, are Explorer NEs valid all the way to Scarborough on the X93?

Yeah they are.

(14 Aug 2014, 8:23 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Not the first time I've heard the £6 return from Scarborough to Whitby, so I'd assume you're right!

Out of interest, are Explorer NEs valid all the way to Scarborough on the X93?

Yes, Explorers are valid all the way - though they aren't very helpful once you get there apart from returning.

Is there a ticket to get from here to Hull?

(15 Aug 2014, 11:02 am)danpick wrote [ -> ]Is there a ticket to get from here to Hull?

To Hull and back?
Watch out for the diamond smugglers

The only bus ticket, would be one on Megabus or National Express.
Obviously, train tickets are an option if going by rail.

There certainly isn't a ticket such as an explorer that would take you that far.

(15 Aug 2014, 12:31 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote [ -> ]To Hull and back?
Watch out for the diamond smugglers

The only bus ticket, would be one on Megabus or National Express.
Obviously, train tickets are an option if going by rail.

There certainly isn't a ticket such as an explorer that would take you that far.

NX 534 goes the full route but takes half a day! Explorer and then a day ticket on EYMS would work I guess