North East Buses

(10 Jun 2014, 3:24 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Basically it's private (Nexus) property, and theyre exercising their right to enforce rules.

Nexus will let you smoke on the stand (despite signs saying its illegal) but if you even so much as show a camera they send a swat team.

(10 Jun 2014, 4:31 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Nexus will let you smoke on the stand (despite signs saying its illegal) but if you even so much as show a camera they send a swat team.

Completely unrelated, but I wish they'd fix that door in Stand G at Gateshead! I don't know what it's for, but all the drivers just let it slam... I'm assuming it goes to a staff room or something?

(10 Jun 2014, 1:48 pm)northern156 wrote [ -> ]I was after I walked away from the interchange. Were you on one of them?

I was driving one of them

(10 Jun 2014, 9:27 pm)BJ10VUS wrote [ -> ]Completely unrelated, but I wish they'd fix that door in Stand G at Gateshead! I don't know what it's for, but all the drivers just let it slam... I'm assuming it goes to a staff room or something?

I think it's staff toilets and a little break room. They can probably get a bit more change in there as well.

(11 Jun 2014, 3:39 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]I think it's staff toilets and a little break room. They can probably get a bit more change in there as well.

Cashing up machines perhaps? Think CLS have similar facility at their front street office?

(11 Jun 2014, 6:12 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Cashing up machines perhaps? Think CLS have similar facility at their front street office?

They do indeed - it's also where the drivers have a small canteen to get their bait. Above the travel shop (the Temple of Doom ) is the control room with the toilets and other facilities at the rear. The third floor is just nothing as far as I'm aware.

EDIT: In fact I wouldn't even class it as a canteen - I've been told there's one or two places to sit down and apparently everything to eat is out of a vending machine . Also, just in case my post wasn't worded right, that's what I meant by 'get a bit of change' and the 'cashing up machines' as you put it

How not to respond to a customer complaint...

(13 Jul 2014, 9:13 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]How not to respond to a customer complaint...

Thats not good, someone will be getting told off

(13 Jul 2014, 9:13 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]How not to respond to a customer complaint...

Shocking :O I think I would have preferred to have not received a reply at all...

Can vouch for that 56 always being five minutes late leaving Sunderland mind, but every time that I've used it, it's made up time by Concord.

Doesn't excuse the rather abrupt and rude response mind - suspect they'll be getting a telling off next week!

(13 Jul 2014, 9:19 pm)Michael wrote [ -> ]Thats not good, someone will be getting told off

You'd hope so. They haven't taken any details at all and have just made an assumption that the customer is in the wrong. Even if they are - you don't tell them like that!

(13 Jul 2014, 9:24 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]You'd hope so. They haven't taken any details at all and have just made an assumption that the customer is in the wrong. Even if they are - you don't tell them like that!

Very rare for them to reply like that! They are normally very helpful and willing to investigate further!

(13 Jul 2014, 9:27 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Very rare for them to reply like that! They are normally very helpful and willing to investigate further!

Yeah I'd agree with that.

What post has been deleted? Anyone see it?

GNE quote "You are responsible for making sure you allow plenty of time to get to your destination or to places where you are picking up connections to continue your journey"

I don't know if its just me but I don't see anything rude about that post. Its up to the passenger to make sure that their get to their destination in plenty of time (work etc...) if their cant get to their destination in time even though the bus service is late (even if its the first bus of the day) then their should make over arrangements.

All bus connections are not guaranteed.

I remember years ago that the first 537 from Sunderland used to always arrive late as the driver did a shuttle between Deptford and interchange and back to Deptford first, as when the driver heads back to Deptford the 537 should of left Sunderland Interchange, the depot used to have the bus up and ready for the driver to go straight out, the 537 used to be 10 minutes late but always made up the time during the journey.

Roll on QCS.

(14 Jul 2014, 9:01 am)cbma06 wrote [ -> ]GNE quote "You are responsible for making sure you allow plenty of time to get to your destination or to places where you are picking up connections to continue your journey"

I don't know if its just me but I don't see anything rude about that post. Its up to the passenger to make sure that their get to their destination in plenty of time (work etc...) if their cant get to their destination in time even though the bus service is late (even if its the first bus of the day) then their should make over arrangements.

All bus connections are not guaranteed.

I remember years ago that the first 537 from Sunderland used to always arrive late as the driver did a shuttle between Deptford and interchange and back to Deptford first, as when the driver heads back to Deptford the 537 should of left Sunderland Interchange, the depot used to have the bus up and ready for the driver to go straight out, the 537 used to be 10 minutes late but always made up the time during the journey.

Roll on QCS.

There is an element of truth to the comment posted by the GNE customer services representative. Ideally, people should take more responsibility in ensuring that plenty of time is allowed for travelling to destinations especially where connecting services are used. To me, that's common sense.

The problem with that particular reply, in my view, was that no additional information was ascertained in relation to the problem. From what I can gather, the customer was waiting for the first 56 of the day which arrived 5 minutes late. This subsequently made the customer miss her connection. Because it was the first bus of the day - it's hardly fair to ask the customer to go for an earlier bus. Because no attempt was made to discover where the customer was travelling, no additional advice could be offered on alternative travelling arrangements.

Also, if the first bus of the day is always 5 minutes late - then it's up to the bus operator to sort out the issue. It is not the customer's fault and no driver should be put under pressure to 'make up time' in an attempt to resolve the issue.

(14 Jul 2014, 9:44 am)AdamY wrote [ -> ]There is an element of truth to the comment posted by the GNE customer services representative. Ideally, people should take more responsibility in ensuring that plenty of time is allowed for travelling to destinations especially where connecting services are used. To me, that's common sense.

The problem with that particular reply, in my view, was that no additional information was ascertained in relation to the problem. From what I can gather, the customer was waiting for the first 56 of the day which arrived 5 minutes late. This subsequently made the customer miss her connection. Because it was the first bus of the day - it's hardly fair to ask the customer to go for an earlier bus. Because no attempt was made to discover where the customer was travelling, no additional advice could be offered on alternative travelling arrangements.

Also, if the first bus of the day is always 5 minutes late - then it's up to the bus operator to sort out the issue. It is not the customer's fault and no driver should be put under pressure to 'make up time' in an attempt to resolve the issue.

Regularly the same driver who does that run - at least from my experience anyway.

Not sure why he's consistently late out of the depot, but he must set off from the depot when he's actually due to leave Park Lane. It's nothing to do with the timings being tight or whatever because he is even scheduled to have layover in Park Lane prior to working service 56 - so it's down to the driver giving himself an extra little bit of time in the depot. As he usually makes up time by Concord, I suspect management will be unaware of there actually being an issue - of course now it may be a slightly different story, given that there has been a customer complaint.

(14 Jul 2014, 9:47 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]Regularly the same driver who does that run - at least from my experience anyway.

Not sure why he's consistently late out of the depot, but he must set off from the depot when he's actually due to leave Park Lane. It's nothing to do with the timings being tight or whatever because he is even scheduled to have layover in Park Lane prior to working service 56 - so it's down to the driver giving himself an extra little bit of time in the depot. As he usually makes up time by Concord, I suspect management will be unaware of there actually being an issue - of course now it may be a slightly different story, given that there has been a customer complaint.

Do you know this to be true?

(14 Jul 2014, 9:57 am)AdamY wrote [ -> ]Do you know this to be true?

What else can it be, if it happens all the time with this driver? Of the times I have used the service, it was only once on time leaving Sunderland - and that's when it was a different driver. This driver pulled in at 05:00am on the dot and waited on the layover for a few minutes before letting passengers on.

If it was happening every once in a while or happened with multiple drivers, I'd suggest first check defects in the depot and that was the reason why the bus didn't depart Park Lane on time - but this isn't the case.

(14 Jul 2014, 10:08 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]What else can it be, if it happens all the time with this driver? Of the times I have used the service, it was only once on time leaving Sunderland - and that's when it was a different driver. This driver pulled in at 05:00am on the dot and waited on the layover for a few minutes before letting passengers on.

If it was happening every once in a while or happened with multiple drivers, I'd suggest first check defects in the depot and that was the reason why the bus didn't depart Park Lane on time - but this isn't the case.

Could be anything including this driver uses the staff transport on a morning which for some reason gets him to the depot late... I would guess we will never know the proper reason.
I'd be amazed if GNE plan layovers into duties before starting though, most places get the light running time and thats it, straight onto service. Of course some are slacker than others...

(14 Jul 2014, 10:25 am)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Could be anything including this driver uses the staff transport on a morning which for some reason gets him to the depot late... I would guess we will never know the proper reason.
I'd be amazed if GNE plan layovers into duties before starting though, most places get the light running time and thats it, straight onto service. Of course some are slacker than others...

Yes, the light running time is pretty slack meaning that the drivers usually have a couple of minutes layover before starting.

Emailed Go North East earlier, and my query was answered and dealt with in just over 30 minutes. Now that's worth mentioning as exceptional.

In other news, I'm towards the end of the 3rd week since Arriva were going to investigate why the X2 (Durham board) yet again failed to stop at Birtley shops...

(25 Jul 2014, 2:23 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]Emailed Go North East earlier, and my query was answered and dealt with in just over 30 minutes. Now that's worth mentioning as exceptional.

In other news, I'm towards the end of the 3rd week since Arriva were going to investigate why the X2 (Durham board) yet again failed to stop at Birtley shops...

There were complaints raised at the recent Stockton bus forum about X1/X2s not observing stops they should do in the Stockton area.

(25 Jul 2014, 2:37 pm)Roland Pratt wrote [ -> ]There were complaints raised at the recent Stockton bus forum about X1/X2s not observing stops they should do in the Stockton area.

I'd imagine Arriva will do approximately sod all. The Stockton drivers seem to know exactly where the stops are along the X2 route, but the Durham drivers try their best not to stop where they're supposed to. This must be the 5th or 6th email I've sent them on the subject now and it still happens.

(25 Jul 2014, 3:02 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]I'd imagine Arriva will do approximately sod all. The Stockton drivers seem to know exactly where the stops are along the X2 route, but the Durham drivers try their best not to stop where they're supposed to. This must be the 5th or 6th email I've sent them on the subject now and it still happens.

Arriva don't give a toss!

(25 Jul 2014, 3:02 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Arriva don't give a toss!

And they are severely outdated! I'd love it if they changed their tickets to the same type Stagecoach and GNE use - instead of those torn strips!

(25 Jul 2014, 3:19 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]And they are severely outdated! I'd love it if they changed their tickets to the same type Stagecoach and GNE use - instead of those torn strips!

Unless I'm missing something, Arriva ticket machines are different model, but not outdated.

(11 Jun 2014, 3:39 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]I think it's staff toilets and a little break room. They can probably get a bit more change in there as well.

About a month too late, but thank you, I wasn't sure what it was! At least they've now managed to fix it... or at least, stop it slamming like a gun shot!

(25 Jul 2014, 5:26 pm)VolvoMarkII wrote [ -> ]Unless I'm missing something, Arriva ticket machines are different model, but not outdated.

Oh, I was just using their tickets as an example of how Arriva haven't seemed to have 'jumped' into the next generation. Some of their Prestiges didn't get a repaint from being new to being withdrawn!

(25 Jul 2014, 6:45 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]Oh, I was just using their tickets as an example of how Arriva haven't seemed to have 'jumped' into the next generation. Some of their Prestiges didn't get a repaint from being new to being withdrawn!

What exactly is wrong with Arriva's tickets?