North East Buses

Thanks for the info. Presumed it was something like that.

Independent operators on contracted services have been notified this morning that the new TNE tickets are to be in place from Monday 6th November.
Pricing confirmed (as expected):
Durham Day Rover £4
Northumberland Day Rover £5
Tyne & Wear Day Rover £6
TNE Day Saver (all 3 zones) £6.80

Network One Zones are to be simplified in South Tyneside, and Sunderland.
https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/ntl-zone-change-2024

BREAKING NEWS: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced that the current £2 bus fares cap on services in England, which was due to expire at the end of December, will be raised to £3 in the upcoming Budget.

(28 Oct 2024, 1:42 pm)Michael wrote [ -> ]BREAKING NEWS: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced that the current £2 bus fares cap on services in England, which was due to expire at the end of December, will be raised to £3 in the upcoming Budget.

Came here to post the same thing. 

Lots of flack being thrown at the government, but it in a world where commercial services rule the roost and shareholders benefit, I don't think it's on the government (this or the previous one) to dictate pricing.

If operators want to make money, or they want to sustain their business - then it's on them to price accordingly.

If they price too high, then those who can - will look at alternatives.

The taxpayer spends far too much money propping up the de-regulated bus industry.

Not clear if TNE funding will remain which makes regular travel more affordable vs the cap anyway.

(28 Oct 2024, 1:56 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]Not clear if TNE funding will remain which makes regular travel more affordable vs the cap anyway.

Isn't that a locally determined thing not defined by the national budget?

(28 Oct 2024, 1:42 pm)Michael wrote [ -> ]BREAKING NEWS: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced that the current £2 bus fares cap on services in England, which was due to expire at the end of December, will be raised to £3 in the upcoming Budget.

Back to the car for me then, I can drive and park for the day at work in Newcastle for cheaper than the £6 return cost on the bus.

The knock on effect of a 50% rise in the £2 price cap is likely to be a similar hike in the price of day, weekly and monthly tickets too. I can only speak about GNE as I live in Washington and that's more or less the only bus company in town, but the £2 price cap has also helped hold down the price of the above tickets. It'll be interesting to see what happens to the price of these. I assume the same will also apply to Arriva and Stagecoach.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce9g2ple13jo

Rural areas going to get the brunt of the increase in bus fare from 2-3 quid. thats if there bus actually arrives

(09 Nov 2024, 7:54 am)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce9g2ple13jo

Rural areas going to get the brunt of the increase in bus fare from 2-3 quid. thats if there bus actually arrives

Urban areas are getting it worse imo as it's effectively back to full price which when it's £2.70 or so to do 3 miles or whatever is stupidly expensive again.

(09 Nov 2024, 8:57 am)Storx wrote [ -> ]Urban areas are getting it worse imo as it's effectively back to full price which when it's £2.70 or so to do 3 miles or whatever is stupidly expensive again.

I agree, surely rural areas are still saving quite a bit of money when compared to before the cap. For example I recall single fares in Northumberland being very expensive before the cap. 

I also wonder if fares that were already stupidly expensive before will be changed to £3 now. A fare that was £2.70 probably would be around £3 if the usual increases had happened.

(09 Nov 2024, 8:57 am)Storx wrote [ -> ]Urban areas are getting it worse imo as it's effectively back to full price which when it's £2.70 or so to do 3 miles or whatever is stupidly expensive again.

when i choose to use the buses to get to work i dont think either would have been more before the price cap, in fact im sure the first journey of 3 stops would have been under £2.  I just wonder if 3 pound will be charged whether its a short hop or full journey!!

(09 Nov 2024, 12:12 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]when i choose to use the buses to get to work i dont think either would have been more before the price cap, in fact im sure the first journey of 3 stops would have been under £2.  I just wonder if 3 pound will be charged whether its a short hop or full journey!!

Aye depends where you are, they definitely exist though. Like just looking on the 63 in Redcar using the fares on BusTimes it's £3.40 from Marton Cross Roads to Middlesbrough, a distance of 2.7 miles. Okay it's 40p cheaper, but £3 is still a rip off.

I never use them but I've heard Stagecoach's singles are shocking aswell.

Bus companies were obliged to tell the DfT what the fares would be without the cap and were only allowed to increase the shadow fares by the inflation rate. Stagecoach’s shadow fares aren’t accessible on bustimes but looking at an example of GNE’s X84 single fare from Lemington Road Ends to Eldon Square, it currently shows as £2.90 so it wouldn’t be a shock to see this increase to £3 under the new cap. Of course its possible that NECA will find the money somehow to maintain the existing cap at least for the remainder of the financial year but we shall just have to wait on that front.

remember its only 1.90 from Newcastle to gateshead metro on GNE buses.......... although ive been charged 2 quid more that 1.90 when i've made the journey across the finish my day with a few pints in the metropole

(09 Nov 2024, 4:00 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]remember its only 1.90 from Newcastle to gateshead metro on GNE buses.......... 

£1.80 on Stagecoach

https://chng.it/zVWGKCf56s

Save the £2 Bus Fare Cap – Keep Fares Affordable! on change.org. I've signed but don't know how effective it will be.

(14 Nov 2024, 5:15 pm)idiot wrote [ -> ]https://chng.it/zVWGKCf56s

Save the £2 Bus Fare Cap – Keep Fares Affordable!  on change.org. I've signed but don't know how effective it will be.

Doubt it'll make any different. Mind it'll be interesting to see how Arriva act in Northumbria as if they put the fares upto £3 without any form of discount ie. a cheaper return then the buses are going to be more expensive than the new rail line and quite a bit aswell off peak (£2 vs £3 from Blyth and Seaton Delaval)

(14 Nov 2024, 5:15 pm)idiot wrote [ -> ]https://chng.it/zVWGKCf56s

Save the £2 Bus Fare Cap – Keep Fares Affordable!  on change.org. I've signed but don't know how effective it will be.

The fare cap is a sticking plaster. Re regulation of the buses is required.

(14 Nov 2024, 8:50 pm)Economic505 wrote [ -> ]The fare cap is a sticking plaster. Re regulation of the buses is required.

Exactly this. 

The Winter Fuel Allowance, £2 bus fares etc wouldn't be needed if prices were more affordable/manageable etc.

Operators are going on about how removing it will affect numbers and could see services axed. 
The easiest solution would be to actually take some ownership of the situation and do something about the fares. 
They're already getting BSOG, uplifts and whatever else. When do we say enough is enough?

As I've said already, If operators want to make money, or they want to sustain their business - then it's on them to price accordingly.

If they price too high, then those who can - will look at alternatives.

The taxpayer spends far too much money propping up the de-regulated bus industry.

(09 Nov 2024, 12:12 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]when i choose to use the buses to get to work i dont think either would have been more before the price cap, in fact im sure the first journey of 3 stops would have been under £2.  I just wonder if 3 pound will be charged whether its a short hop or full journey!!

We’ll soon find out in Durham. ANE kept their fares under £2 for short hops but it's been £2 to travel less than a mile and a half on GNE.

(15 Nov 2024, 8:50 pm)BusLoverMum wrote [ -> ]We’ll soon find out in Durham. ANE kept their fares under £2 for short hops but it's been £2 to travel less than a mile and a half on GNE.

Yeh i think the 27 i get its onl.y for 3 stops and charge £2 i think that should drop to 1.90 or stay at 2 quid.  No sure how much from heworth up to old durham road/wrekenton was before the cap.  Got a feeling i'll get charged £3 for that one!  As long as i get charged the same fare for same journey!! LOL i dont want GNE going the same way as subway!!

from ITV storey about the 1 billion investment

An inflationary limit will also be set to ensure other fares are not automatically increased to £3. The cap will run until the end of 2025.

That will scuttle GNE LOL

(17 Nov 2024, 9:32 am)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]from ITV storey about the 1 billion investment

An inflationary limit will also be set to ensure other fares are not automatically increased to £3. The cap will run until the end of 2025.

That will scuttle GNE LOL

It won't mind mind because you're assuming the fares haven't been going up in the background. Picking out your 27, these are some of the fares now:

Newcastle to Felling - £2.90
Newcastle to Heworth - £3.80
Heworth to Bill Quay - £2.30
Heworth to Monkton Lane - £2.90
Heworth to Jarrow - £3.80

Lowest fare bar Newcastle to Gateshead - £2.10

I'd assume some of them were no-where near those rip off prices before the cap.

£2.90 for a single from Newcastle to Felling is extremely poor value for money. The Metro with a Pop card is £1.80 in comparison, or £2.80 without.

Fare table: https://bustimes.org/fares/tariffs/6309319

(17 Nov 2024, 1:43 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]It won't mind mind because you're assuming the fares haven't been going up in the background. Picking out your 27, these are some of the fares now:

Newcastle to Felling - £2.90
Newcastle to Heworth - £3.80
Heworth to Bill Quay - £2.30
Heworth to Monkton Lane - £2.90
Heworth to Jarrow - £3.80

Lowest fare bar Newcastle to Gateshead - £2.10

I'd assume some of them were no-where near those rip off prices before the cap.

£2.90 for a single from Newcastle to Felling is extremely poor value for money. The Metro with a Pop card is £1.80 in comparison, or £2.80 without.

Fare table: https://bustimes.org/fares/tariffs/6309319

Hold on is newcastle to gates not 1.90???

So from my penthouse to heworth i would say its got to be the lowest fare available which is 2.10 or maybe 2.30.  Surely the above would stop them from just saying that these fares will now be £3??  that a near 33% rise LOL

I;m going to take the day off on 2 jan as i think it will be carnage on the buses when puter check £2 down and get told you need to pay 50% more mate!

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also just to add i always thought that when you by a ticket it should have had the original fare on then at the bottom how much you saved due to the cap.... like the supermarkets do

(17 Nov 2024, 2:00 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]Hold on is newcastle to gates not 1.90???

So from my penthouse to heworth i would say its got to be the lowest fare available which is 2.10 or maybe 2.30.  Surely the above would stop them from just saying that these fares will now be £3??  that a near 33% rise LOL

I;m going to take the day off on 2 jan as i think it will be carnage on the buses when puter check £2 down and get told you need to pay 50% more mate!

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also just to add i always thought that when you by a ticket it should have had the original fare on then at the bottom how much you saved due to the cap.... like the supermarkets do

Aye Newcastle to Gateshead is an exception to that. Yeah those very short fares will be still be that price but to be honest I can't imagine there's many really doing them (I know you do btw). 

The main flows are bloody expensive now. Low Fell to Newcastle is £2.90 for example absolute con. That I'm sure was £2.30 not too long ago. 

Believe everything's gone up somewhere between 10-12% during the price cap.

(17 Nov 2024, 2:15 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]Aye Newcastle to Gateshead is an exception to that. Yeah those very short fares will be still be that price but to be honest I can't imagine there's many really doing them (I know you do btw). 

The main flows are bloody expensive now. Low Fell to Newcastle is £2.90 for example absolute con. That I'm sure was £2.30 not too long ago. 

Believe everything's gone up somewhere between 10-12% during the price cap.

The fare structures on the Go North East services don't make any sense to me when I've just had a look.

£4.20 from West Auckland to Newcastle, £2.60 from West Auckland to Chester-le-Street, but £2.90 from Low Fell to Newcastle?

Also as a comparison, on the 309 it's £2.30 from Blyth to Newcastle which seems cheap... I'm assuming that could be because the day ticket price is so low.

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(17 Nov 2024, 2:00 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]Hold on is newcastle to gates not 1.90???

So from my penthouse to heworth i would say its got to be the lowest fare available which is 2.10 or maybe 2.30.  Surely the above would stop them from just saying that these fares will now be £3??  that a near 33% rise LOL

I;m going to take the day off on 2 jan as i think it will be carnage on the buses when puter check £2 down and get told you need to pay 50% more mate!

---

also just to add i always thought that when you by a ticket it should have had the original fare on then at the bottom how much you saved due to the cap.... like the supermarkets do

As for fares below £2, fares on Nexus secured services are £1.80 for 2 maybe 3 fare stages on most services.

(17 Nov 2024, 2:15 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]Aye Newcastle to Gateshead is an exception to that. Yeah those very short fares will be still be that price but to be honest I can't imagine there's many really doing them (I know you do btw). 

The main flows are bloody expensive now. Low Fell to Newcastle is £2.90 for example absolute con. That I'm sure was £2.30 not too long ago. 

Believe everything's gone up somewhere between 10-12% during the price cap.

I wonder what it is on the x12??  And is the x21 more expensive cause its an express??? Like the X1 to wreckenton is more then the 56/28

(17 Nov 2024, 2:28 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]I wonder what it is on the x12??  And is the x21 more expensive cause its an express??? Like the X1 to wreckenton is more then the 56/28

Looks like it's £2.50 on the X12, and it's £2.90 on the X21 (same as the 21)

Some of those Arriva X12 fares are ridiculous too. 

https://bustimes.org/fares/tariffs/6294613


£8.20 for a single from Durham to Middlesbrough, or £4.20 Durham to Coxhoe/Bowburn.