North East Buses

(16 May 2022, 9:42 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]The audio ports were removed.


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Saturday marked the first use of the DAFs on the Toon Tour, 6998 was out in use, and bus times claims 3999 was the other vehicle, but I strongly suspect it may have been 6997 using the ticket machine from 3999 mainly because 3999 was parked in Percy Main depot at around 2pm in a line with withdrawn 3997 / 3998.

(21 May 2022, 6:58 pm)Rapidsnap wrote [ -> ]Saturday marked the first use of the DAFs on the Toon Tour, 6998 was out in use, and bus times claims 3999 was the other vehicle, but I strongly suspect it may have been 6997 using the ticket machine from 3999 mainly because 3999 was parked in Percy Main depot at around 2pm in a line with withdrawn 3997 / 3998.

Do 3997 & 3998 have to be withdrawn. 

Surely they could be used on Euro 5 routes. Such as 24/20/65/50

So the Corporate liveried open top won’t be able to stand in once the CAZ starts…

6999 is likely to be replacing 3999.

Also the 3 B7TLs have been sold already.

I see a non open topper (a B9) keeps appearing on the city tour.
Are they currently short of open tops to cover the service?

Seen a few videos now where there’s seemingly no tour commentary playing!?

6999 (897EYX) has been painted into Toon Tour livery. Which has suprised me as I thought it would have gone into Roadstripe, unless that role is to be fulfilled by 6900.

(27 May 2022, 10:13 am)ne14ne1 wrote [ -> ]Seen a few videos now where there’s seemingly no tour commentary playing!?

There was an issue with 6997 last weekend which was promptly repaired on Monday.


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(27 May 2022, 1:23 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]There was an issue with 6997 last weekend which was promptly repaired on Monday.


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Nice one

is strange to see a Euro 6 sticker on a President and a DAF in particular. yes i know its a cummins but still is weird. There should be some lovely moments where the DAF's will scream around and will not allow you to hear the Tour Audio

(27 May 2022, 6:59 pm)KingSlayerRBLX wrote [ -> ]is strange to see a Euro 6 sticker on a President and a DAF in particular. yes i know its a cummins but still is weird. There should be some lovely moments where the DAF's will scream around and will not allow you to hear the Tour Audio

We missed hearing several chunks of commentary from the previous President’s engines, hence why I hoped these ones would’ve had their headphone sockets left in tact, but unfortunately they haven’t.

(27 May 2022, 7:16 pm)ne14ne1 wrote [ -> ]We missed hearing several chunks of commentary from the previous President’s engines, hence why I hoped these ones would’ve had their headphone sockets left in tact, but unfortunately they haven’t.

It's often not just engine noise that disrupts the audio experience, not GNE but I remember doing the Eastbourne Sightseeing tour last summer with only speakers to listen to the commentary to and I heard very little of the audio commentary because of the breeze, much prefer the option of having headphone ports to plug into as volume is adjustable to be able to listen to the audio more clearly, assuming they were also removed by GNE as I would assume they only have audio commentary in English whereas a lot of these sightseeing tours are multilingual.

What is the logic behind removing them?
Surely they can be tied into the same audio stream as the speakers with minimal effort

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(28 May 2022, 12:28 pm)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]What is the logic behind removing them?
Surely they can be tied into the same audio stream as the speakers with minimal effort

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They can’t.


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(28 May 2022, 3:17 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]They can’t.


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surely you can turn the volume up on the announcements. think it is needed cause the DAF's will scream over the audios

The sound of the DAF enginebos probably the highlight for "enthusiasts". Just missing the Urban 90's for the full experience haha!

The seats they have now are just as bad as the Urban 90s. Zero padding.

Are these the first DAF DB250’s after the Spectras? If so that is a very long time ago

Just an idea but on many other sightseeing tours they have people on the buses doing the commentary and it makes it a lot more enjoyable for a passenger! Doesn't have to be anything flashy! Could even be weekends only but people enjoy having that commentary told to them by a person on board rather than an audio recording of someone who doesn't sound very local!

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(01 Jun 2022, 6:10 am)DRS37419 wrote [ -> ]Just an idea but on many other sightseeing tours they have people on the buses doing the commentary and it makes it a lot more enjoyable for a passenger! Doesn't have to be anything flashy! Could even be weekends only but people enjoy having that commentary told to them by a person on board rather than an audio recording of someone who doesn't sound very local!

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It was two local people who voiced the original announcements - one is unmistakably Geordie…

If GNE had someone on-board doing a live commentary I suspect the service would then become loss-making, and, judging by the cuts proposed on the local bus network, would result in it no longer running at all.


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(01 Jun 2022, 6:44 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]It was two local people who voiced the original announcements - one is unmistakably Geordie…

If GNE had someone on-board doing a live commentary I suspect the service would then become loss-making, and, judging by the cuts proposed on the local bus network, would result in it no longer running at all.


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Unmistakably Geordie. Its a Geordie twang for most of it! Apart from when he says 'ToonTour' which is very much geordie but that's only a few times in your whole trip!

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How Geordie do you want to go? Do you remember the Alan Robson announcements from 2015 on the Quaylink? Or the Steve and Karen announcements on the Angel!

(01 Jun 2022, 6:47 am)DRS37419 wrote [ -> ]Unmistakably Geordie. Its a Geordie twang for most of it! Apart from when he says 'ToonTour' which is very much geordie but that's only a few times in your whole trip!

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As well what I dont understand as how it would be loss running! Minimum wage to do weekends and school holidays with 1/2 days off a week. How would that be loss running!

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(01 Jun 2022, 6:58 am)DRS37419 wrote [ -> ]As well what I dont understand as how it would be loss running! Minimum wage to do weekends and school holidays with 1/2 days off a week. How would that be loss running!

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Good luck attracting anyone at minimum wage!

But let’s say you could.

Two people to do it (for two PVR), plus one person to cover meal breaks. Add another to cover rest days during the summer season, so four people in total.

Let’s say all are paid 39hrs a week, for ten weeks of the year. That covers the fact that in reality the season runs longer but not all of those people would be paid a minimum of 39hrs.

390 hours * £9.50 (minimum wage) = £3,705.
£3,705 * 4 people = £14,820.

Plus on costs, at say around 30% (probably higher in reality), you’re up to £19,266.


As I say, the chance of employing anyone these days for less than the National Living Wage is slim to none… So your £19.2k here would actually be higher.

Stagecoach stopped running the City Sightseeing service for a reason. Presumably it is very low margin. GNE can probably run it more cost-effectively because they pay drivers at a lower rate and can run it more efficiently with DFDS drivers. Added revenue comes from hire of the open tops to interested parties, be that for a group hire for Toon Tour or for something else.


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(01 Jun 2022, 7:02 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]Good luck attracting anyone at minimum wage!


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Your not gonna get anyone who'll do it for life! You'll have someone who only wants a starting weekend job at 16 or someone who wants to add a bit more to the pension!

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3999 is still hanging on being in use on the Toon Tour today whilst 6998 / 6999 remained in PM with one of the remaining debranded Toon Tour Volvo B7TLs.

(01 Jun 2022, 7:08 pm)Rapidsnap wrote [ -> ]3999 is still hanging on being in use on the Toon Tour today whilst 6998 / 6999 remained in PM with one of the remaining debranded Toon Tour Volvo B7TLs.

6998 was at a test centre I think near Saltmedows the other day


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(01 Jun 2022, 11:51 pm)Aaron21 wrote [ -> ]6998 was at a test centre I think near Saltmedows the other day

Probably there to get a tachograph fitted or re-calibrated if it is Albany Motors on Saltmeadows Road.

Go North East 6999 / 897 EYX by kieron mathews, on Flickr

6999 has entered service