North East Buses

So are they sharing the 515/558?

(03 Jun 2014, 3:32 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]So are they sharing the 515/558?

Why would they be sharing it?

(03 Jun 2014, 4:18 pm)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Why would they be sharing it?

Well it's shared at the moment?

(03 Jun 2014, 4:44 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Well it's shared at the moment?

All one contract this time, with 2 buses required.
The 37/73 was too though, so I am not sure how that works.

Here's the tenders again...

(31 Mar 2014, 12:22 pm)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Up for tender from July with Nexus are

37/73 Doxford Park - Coach Road - Sunderland
Mon-Sat daytime - Euro 4 - PVR 3
38C Sunderland - Tunstall Bank
Evening & Sunday - Euro 4 - PVR 1
88 Lukes Lane - South Shields
Mon-Sun evening - Euro 4 - PVR 4
96/96A Metrocentre - Lobley Hill
Mon-Sun evening - Euro 4 - PVR 1
135/136 Sunderland - Hylton Circulars
Mon-Sat evening, Sunday - Euro 4 - PVR 2
515/558 Heworth - Hebburn/Seaburn
Mon-Sun daytime (515 not Sun) - Euro 4 - PVR 2
643 Metrocentre - Watergate Estate
Mon-Sat daytime - Euro 4 - PVR 1
size restriction due to small estate roads
R3/R4/R6 Clara Vale - Blaydon - Rowlands Gill local services
Mon-Sun all day - Euro 4 - PVR 3

Plus around 40 miscellaneous workings boards (mainly schools & works services I understand)

It'll be interesting to see if Gateshead Central Taxis come to an agreement to accept GNE tickets on the 96. As happens with the M2/M3 on Arriva's evening runs.

I'm not sure it's been noted in all of the excitement that this is all of the Nexus service work at TGM Classic gone... Obviously they still have schools and other misc workings but these are also up for tender this summer, so I am fairly certain we know the answer to what's happening now.

Have GCT acquired any new vehicles for all this tender work?

(03 Jun 2014, 6:53 pm)AdamY wrote [ -> ]Have GCT acquired any new vehicles for all this tender work?

Not as far as I am aware. They don't start until 27th July anyway so I wouldn't expect anything to arrive for another few weeks yet

(03 Jun 2014, 6:53 pm)AdamY wrote [ -> ]Have GCT acquired any new vehicles for all this tender work?

Wouldn't be surprised if they've put a more competitive price in by just using their Bluebirds? Not the biggest of bus, but more than sufficient considering they only seem to ferry a handful of pensioners around at a time.

Interesting to see the 96 in different colours...

Pretty certain, it has always been a GNE service.

Is this the end of the story or will there be a twist?

To see what I've been talking about... I've taken the timetable from the Nexus tender document for the 37/73 - I don't know how it has been split up though.

By the looks of it, Compass have registered a timetable change to the 37, and cancelled service 73. GCT have also registered service 37, so whether that includes the 73 as well in one registration who knows?? The R3/R4/R6 would appear to all be on one registration.

Probably worth mentioning that a number of "Miscellaneous boards" are up for tender too...

List below based on capacity & current operators. It doesn't say what is involved in each one as they could change, but here goes...

Minimum Capacity 44
1 Arriva Northumbria & 1 TGM Classic

Minimum Capacity 62
4 Go North East
3 Arriva Northumbria
1 A-Line
1 Kingsley Coaches

Minimum Capacity 84
18 Go North East
9 Kingsley Coaches
2 Stanley Travel
2 TGM Classic

(04 Jun 2014, 6:22 pm)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Probably worth mentioning that a number of "Miscellaneous boards" are up for tender too...

List below based on capacity & current operators. It doesn't say what is involved in each one as they could change, but here goes...

Minimum Capacity 44
1 Arriva Northumbria & 1 TGM Classic

Minimum Capacity 62
4 Go North East
3 Arriva Northumbria
1 A-Line
1 Kingsley Coaches

Minimum Capacity 84
18 Go North East
9 Kingsley Coaches
2 Stanley Travel
2 TGM Classic

Scholars, Metro replacement or ferry replacement?

(04 Jun 2014, 6:22 pm)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Probably worth mentioning that a number of "Miscellaneous boards" are up for tender too...

List below based on capacity & current operators. It doesn't say what is involved in each one as they could change, but here goes...

Minimum Capacity 44
1 Arriva Northumbria & 1 TGM Classic

Minimum Capacity 62
4 Go North East
3 Arriva Northumbria
1 A-Line
1 Kingsley Coaches

Minimum Capacity 84
18 Go North East
9 Kingsley Coaches
2 Stanley Travel
2 TGM Classic

one will be my scholars

Would it be better if GNE just dropped all their school contracts?

(04 Jun 2014, 6:58 pm)Michael wrote [ -> ]Would it be better if GNE just dropped all their school contracts?

Depends.
I think they could withdraw a few (and indeed I predict they will, to allow for Olympian withdrawal later this year) but not all - due to the fact there are drivers who (currently) drive scholars every day and that's about it.
The loss of services perhaps makes room for drivers to become redundant - not something which GNE wants to happen.

(04 Jun 2014, 7:00 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Depends.
I think they could withdraw a few (and indeed I predict they will, to allow for Olympian withdrawal later this year) but not all - due to the fact there are drivers who (currently) drive scholars every day and that's about it.
The loss of services perhaps makes room for drivers to become redundant - not something which GNE wants to happen.

That's true, don't want that to happen.

(04 Jun 2014, 4:40 pm)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]To see what I've been talking about... I've taken the timetable from the Nexus tender document for the 37/73 - I don't know how it has been split up though.

By the looks of it, Compass have registered a timetable change to the 37, and cancelled service 73. GCT have also registered service 37, so whether that includes the 73 as well in one registration who knows?? The R3/R4/R6 would appear to all be on one registration.

Thanks tyresmoke, i see what u mean now. =)

(04 Jun 2014, 7:00 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Depends.
I think they could withdraw a few (and indeed I predict they will, to allow for Olympian withdrawal later this year) but not all - due to the fact there are drivers who (currently) drive scholars every day and that's about it.
The loss of services perhaps makes room for drivers to become redundant - not something which GNE wants to happen.

Not to mention it would be a huge loss of revenue! After all we're all in the game to make £££!

(04 Jun 2014, 6:58 pm)Michael wrote [ -> ]Would it be better if GNE just dropped all their school contracts?

From a strategic point of view GNE would be wise to remain in school contracts based on the situation when they let school contracts slip in the early 1990's. Along came Classic picking up school contracts then when they had a reasonable number of buses they used them to compete with GNE outside of school contract hours on the Chester le Street to Newcastle routes.
I don't think GNE would like to see a competitor start expanding in the schools contract sector to move in to commercial work on their patch.

(04 Jun 2014, 7:15 pm)GuyParkRoyal wrote [ -> ]From a strategic point of view GNE would be wise to remain in school contracts based on the situation when they let school contracts slip in the early 1990's. Along came Classic picking up school contracts then when they had a reasonable number of buses they used them to compete with GNE outside of school contract hours on the Chester le Street to Newcastle routes.
I don't think GNE would like to see a competitor start expanding in the schools contract sector to move in to commercial work on their patch.

I would be devastated if my scholars bus was run by an independant. GNE would indeed be very cautious to remain in the scholars game as they do make a lot of money on them.

(04 Jun 2014, 8:31 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]I would be devastated if my scholars bus was run by an independant. GNE would indeed be very cautious to remain in the scholars game as they do make a lot of money on them.

mine when i joined this year had been Stanley travel for the first week

tyresmoke Wrote:
Up for tender from July with Nexus are

37/73 Doxford Park - Coach Road - Sunderland
Mon-Sat daytime - Euro 4 - PVR 3
38C Sunderland - Tunstall Bank
Evening & Sunday - Euro 4 - PVR 1
88 Lukes Lane - South Shields
Mon-Sun evening - Euro 4 - PVR 4
96/96A Metrocentre - Lobley Hill
Mon-Sun evening - Euro 4 - PVR 1
135/136 Sunderland - Hylton Circulars
Mon-Sat evening, Sunday - Euro 4 - PVR 2
515/558 Heworth - Hebburn/Seaburn
Mon-Sun daytime (515 not Sun) - Euro 4 - PVR 2
643 Metrocentre - Watergate Estate
Mon-Sat daytime - Euro 4 - PVR 1
size restriction due to small estate roads
R3/R4/R6 Clara Vale - Blaydon - Rowlands Gill local services
Mon-Sun all day - Euro 4 - PVR 3

Plus around 40 miscellaneous workings boards (mainly schools & works services I understand)

The ones in bold is the ones which hasn't being registered on VOSA yet.

(04 Jun 2014, 8:31 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]I would be devastated if my scholars bus was run by an independant. GNE would indeed be very cautious to remain in the scholars game as they do make a lot of money on them.

Devastated seems a bit of a strong word!

(05 Jun 2014, 2:06 pm)gtom wrote [ -> ]Devastated seems a bit of a strong word!

I thought so too.

I've stated this many time before but, personally, I could care less who operates my bus as long as it gets me to where I want to be within the allotted time given.

(04 Jun 2014, 8:31 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]I would be devastated if my scholars bus was run by an independant. GNE would indeed be very cautious to remain in the scholars game as they do make a lot of money on them.

Thats absolute tosh.

Most school buses work around normal service work for one reason only.

They never stack up by themselves.

Scholars daily rates are not good enough and they only help pay for the bus with the commercial work in the daytime making the profit.

(05 Jun 2014, 5:35 pm)VolvoMarkII wrote [ -> ]Thats absolute tosh.

Most school buses work around normal service work for one reason only.

They never stack up by themselves.

Scholars daily rates are not good enough and they only help pay for the bus with the commercial work in the daytime making the profit.

Go North East have a lot of standalone scholar service workings - although primarily found in County Durham.

They wouldn't go for these if they weren't making a profit from them, surely?

(05 Jun 2014, 5:37 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Go North East have a lot of standalone scholar service workings - although primarily found in County Durham.

They wouldn't go for these if they weren't making a profit from them, surely?

I wonder if the Co Durham peak fares help profits?

(05 Jun 2014, 5:39 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote [ -> ]I wonder if the Co Durham peak fares help profits?

I'd imagine. There's no (or little) subsidy in Co. Durham, so it's up to commercial operators to create their own schemes if they choose to do so. I think the peak/off peak is GNE only in Co. Durham though? Arriva is half the full fare, capped at £1.

(05 Jun 2014, 7:00 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]I'd imagine. There's no (or little) subsidy in Co. Durham, so it's up to commercial operators to create their own schemes if they choose to do so. I think the peak/off peak is GNE only in Co. Durham though? Arriva is half the full fare, capped at £1.

What's the fares like for kids down in Lincoln? I'm sure I heard something about child fares being non-existent at peak times when they're travelling to/from school and they're forced to buy Adult Dayriders as it is the cheapest method.

Was something crazy along those lines anyway.