North East Buses

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Just throwing it out there, but in the age of technology and vehicle tracking, should a customer need to complain and provide details of huge gaps in service/missing buses? Wouldn't this be a case of telling the operator what they already know?

I'd like to think operators use the information proactively to improve service, rather than waiting for someone to point it out to them.

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OI got the 28b to town and people weren't getting on and looked to be waiting for an angel! Only me and the crocodile on the bus most of the way back but loads standing at the 21 stand at GATESHEAD. Obv these could be going to Birtley CLS etc but i bet a pound some of them could have got the 28b and would have if it served the same stop at GATESHEAD M
(08 May 2023, 8:35 am)Adrian wrote [ -> ]Just throwing it out there, but in the age of technology and vehicle tracking, should a customer need to complain and provide details of huge gaps in service/missing buses? Wouldn't this be a case of telling the operator what they already know?

I'd like to think operators use the information proactively to improve service, rather than waiting for someone to point it out to them.

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Call me cynical, but these days I'd be more concerned that some companies would take a lack of complaints to mean that they'd got away with providing a shoddy service .....
(08 May 2023, 4:55 am)pbjd wrote [ -> ]Believe that’s just 6359 having tracking issues rather than gaps in service.


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I think 6359 was having tracking issues last week as well, I'm sure it was tracking on the q3 and the X21 at the same time, then completely disappearing for a bit

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(08 May 2023, 10:30 am)Ianthegoon wrote [ -> ]Call me cynical, but these days I'd be more concerned that some companies would take a lack of complaints to mean that they'd got away with providing a shoddy service .....

I mean, I'd hope no business would take the volume of complaints (high or low) as a measure of success! It's more a question of why would they deal with these issues reactively, when the data is in their possession.

I've had this before though; being asked to provide examples, when the operator is the custodian of the data!
(08 May 2023, 4:55 am)pbjd wrote [ -> ]Believe that’s just 6359 having tracking issues rather than gaps in service.


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Well, we weren't going to let the Angel due to leave ES at the same time go without us, just in case!
Q3 to Wallsend due at the Law Courts at 17:15, was tracking as far as Market Street East, then disappeared. No word from GNE either. Be interesting to know if A) Nexus still pay for a part funded service that doesn't complete it's journey, and B) if GNE actually report non-runners to Nexus.
It seems the X39 which comes of the Q3, the 8:25 is always late getting into the Cobalt for after 9am.

That needs to be changed.
(10 May 2023, 6:55 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]It seems the X39 which comes of the Q3, the 8:25 is always late getting into the Cobalt for after 9am.

That needs to be changed.

Yeah the X39 changes are causing no end of headaches staffing wise. The removal of the 4.30ish service and its replacement with a barely used 6pm run means everyone wants to leave the office by 4pm to catch the first X39.

The extended journey times on the 309/7 are equally painful. Better service for residents but worse for commuters into Cobalt…hand gives and takes away
Today GNE 65 left at 7:20, there was not another one leaving Seaham till 10:13. three hours without a bus service. I'm sorry but that is an absolute fucken disgrace. One of my friends almost missed their exam for 11, luckily they managed to get a lift but it's not the point.
(23 May 2023, 5:21 pm)nova347 wrote [ -> ]Today GNE 65 left at 7:20, there was not another one leaving Seaham till 10:13. three hours without a bus service. I'm sorry but that is an absolute fucken disgrace. One of my friends almost missed their exam for 11, luckily they managed to get a lift but it's not the point.
It was actually 10:43

As the 08:06 ran dead from Percy Main to Durham, 09:13 ran from Hetton, 09:43 ran from Hetton after arriving into Seaham 20 mins late, 10:13 ran dead from Park Lane to Hetton
(19 May 2023, 9:53 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]Yeah the X39 changes are causing no end of headaches staffing wise. The removal of the 4.30ish service and its replacement with a barely used 6pm run means everyone wants to leave the office by 4pm to catch the first X39.

The extended journey times on the 309/7 are equally painful. Better service for residents but worse for commuters into Cobalt…hand gives and takes away
The 309 isn't that much longer than what it was pre March other than serving High Farm.

Thank our lucky stars the Silverlini / A19 flyover was completed before COVID as the Cobalt traffic used to be on par if not worse than the Metrocentre is around Xmas time
Both the X10 19:20/20:20 from Middlesbrough either broke down or were just stopped for an hour
Stagecoach Sunderland seem to be getting desparately short again. 48 minute gap on the 16 at one point today, although in fairness that includes a bus that was turned due to lateness.
(12 Jun 2023, 9:32 pm)F114TML wrote [ -> ]Stagecoach Sunderland seem to be getting desparately short again. 48 minute gap on the 16 at one point today, although in fairness that includes a bus that was turned due to lateness.

See really buses should run late if there isn't one behind or one in front, or the one behind is like (say 15 mins service, 10-15 mins late)
(13 Jun 2023, 8:06 am)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]See really buses should run late if there isn't one behind or one in front, or the one behind is like (say 15 mins service, 10-15 mins late)
But then what happens when the driver runs out of hours? They just pull over half way along the route and get off?

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(13 Jun 2023, 8:10 am)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]But then what happens when the driver runs out of hours? They just pull over half way along the route and get off?

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I think I can remember someone saying that some GNE driver trips without a break go over the legal driving hours. 

Honestly idk, but no one should be in a position where a service whcih is every 12 mins there isn't one for 48 mins
Link below to the PSV375, which outlines driving and rest hours both under EU and GB

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/drivers-hour...r-vehicles
(13 Jun 2023, 8:13 am)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]I think I can remember someone saying that some GNE driver trips without a break go over the legal driving hours.

What? No they don't. In fact it's a union requirement that drivers don't go above 5 hours driving time which is 30 minutes less than the max.
(14 Jun 2023, 9:29 am)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]What? No they don't. In fact it's a union requirement that drivers don't go above 5 hours driving time which is 30 minutes less than the max.
Oh well, it was definitely one of the big 3
(14 Jun 2023, 9:42 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]Oh well, it was definitely one of the big 3

All of the big 3 use some form of scheduling software, which will physically not allow for any illegal shifts to be scheduled (which is what your initial post states).

Two cancellations on stagecoach currently
But tell ya what can't complain how clear it is on the app. https://ibb.co/ggpmVk2
Just the 49 cancellations for GNE tomorrow and I’m not referring to the number 49 service
awful lot of cancellations are for the last/later services, not a good thing.

I assume lates are the least liked by drivers?
(22 Jun 2023, 8:39 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]Just the 49 cancellations for GNE tomorrow and I’m not referring to the number 49 service

I know someone with say " different depots" but if they are cancelling 49 services how are they going to run all these new ones in N tyneside?

(22 Jun 2023, 9:45 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]awful lot of cancellations are for the last/later services, not a good thing.

I assume lates are the least liked by drivers?

would you  like to drive a bunch of pissed up knobs around on an evening?  I find it bad enough when i pick the Mrs and her mates up after they've had night on the town!
(23 Jun 2023, 9:34 am)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]I know someone with say " different depots" but if they are cancelling 49 services how are they going to run all these new ones in N tyneside?


would you  like to drive a bunch of pissed up knobs around on an evening?  I find it bad enough when i pick the Mrs and her mates up after they've had night on the town!

To be fair all of the cancelled services are from Riverside so it’s clearly a localised problem.

I’m pretty sure some drivers from Percy Main are on loan there too - so if Percy main are operating the next services, they should be fine.
(23 Jun 2023, 11:45 am)Thomas12 wrote [ -> ]To be fair all of the cancelled services are from Riverside so it’s clearly a localised problem.

I’m pretty sure some drivers from Percy Main are on loan there too - so if Percy main are operating the next services, they should be fine.

They tend to prioritise the services they get paid for too (contract work in general and Nexus)
(23 Jun 2023, 11:45 am)Thomas12 wrote [ -> ]To be fair all of the cancelled services are from Riverside so it’s clearly a localised problem.

I’m pretty sure some drivers from Percy Main are on loan there too - so if Percy main are operating the next services, they should be fine.

I knew that someone would say that, which is a reason why  I mention depot.  But i doubt ALDI would open up a store in bensham if the shop in Wrekenton was having to close at 4pm due to staff shortages on a regular basis?
(23 Jun 2023, 1:58 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]I knew that someone would say that, which is a reason why  I mention depot.  But i doubt ALDI would open up a store in bensham if the shop in Wrekenton was having to close at 4pm due to staff shortages on a regular basis?

Wouldn’t it not depend on staff availability in a given location?
(23 Jun 2023, 1:58 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]I knew that someone would say that, which is a reason why  I mention depot.  But i doubt ALDI would open up a store in bensham if the shop in Wrekenton was having to close at 4pm due to staff shortages on a regular basis?

To be fair that happens. Morrisons at Cowgate is chronically understaffed, there's a role in that store that has 2 members of staff (in total) - got told yesterday, to do a role which needs at least one member of staff on from 8am - 8pm I believe the hours are. They've just opened a new store at Great Park. 

The Riverside problems are all linked back to the car crash of CLS. Even known they won't admit that. Even Arriva admitted they handled Jesmond badly, no doubt GNE is blaming sickness, Covid, wind or whatever still.