(26 Jun 2023, 1:53 pm)Drifter60 I wonder if Stagecoach will have tweaks to their ticketing offering with the 59 contract? A Hartlepool + Co Durham day/mega rider? As otherwise they’ll not have a day ticket option available to those customers on the 59 route. The 59 may even get some passengers from wider Hartlepool going towards Durham, as the Arriva 24 is only marginally quicker and if there’s a more attractive ticket option that incorporates Stagecoach’s local routes in the town.

(26 Jun 2023, 7:59 pm)RobinHood It's a Durham County Council tender, so Stagecoach do not set the fares or ticket products.

They may accept Hartlepool Megariders locally, but I suspect Durham CC will likely focus on single and return fares, plus potential acceptance of local Arriva zonal tickets instead.

(26 Jun 2023, 10:07 pm)Drifter60 Accept all that but hasn’t it always been a case that the large operators used to accept their usual ticket products? So I don’t see why Stagecoach couldn’t decide to tweak a ticketing option? 

It’s raises a wider point though for instance the 71 Seaham to Chester, has just went from a DCC contract under GNE, whereby I imagine a great deal of fare-paying passengers were using GNE day/week tickets etc. so the income from fares wouldn’t be that high, whereas now I understand they’re no longer accepted so the amount of income from singles and returns will be higher. Does that make the route look more profitable? 

Do DCC get the income from fares? If so, how does it work if a passenger boards and uses an operator day ticket? 

The whole system of Council contracts seems flawed to me. The discussion has been had before though, but I do think bus operations are now entirely depleted and the system needs major overhaul.

(27 Jun 2023, 9:59 am)F114TML We don't accept dayriders or megariders on the 99 or 939 - indeed recently Nexus apparently told us to stop accepting the SmartZone tickets on the 99 because of.... reasons. Causes a fair bit of trouble especially on the 99; wouldn't be so bad if they stipulated the battleship grey livery on services tgat only accept Nexus tickets.

(27 Jun 2023, 9:59 am)F114TML We don't accept dayriders or megariders on the 99 or 939 - indeed recently Nexus apparently told us to stop accepting the SmartZone tickets on the 99 because of.... reasons. Causes a fair bit of trouble especially on the 99; wouldn't be so bad if they stipulated the battleship grey livery on services tgat only accept Nexus tickets.

(27 Jun 2023, 12:38 pm)Drifter60 Ah interesting I never knew that, it’s probably correct that no contracted services should accept commercial operators tickets as 1) the LA are the one funding the service, not bus companies 2) it make it difficult when things change operators, such as the 99/939 you mention. 3) Bus operators shouldn’t be able to appear to have a more extensive network by utilising council contracts. Therefore making their own commercial tickets look more appealing and value for money.

Having said all that, I do think it’s pretty confusing that the 99 and 939 which to a customer perspective are just ‘Stagecoach’ buses but don’t accept those day/megarider tickets. Does a customer really know which buses are local authority contracts and what’s a commercial operation? I’ve seen a few comments before on social media when routes have been cut by the big three operators and people suggest that ‘Gateshead Central’ could take on the route, failing to understand that they don’t actually have any commercial services (happy to be corrected!) and the majority of buses they run are council contacts, many routes of which just happen to be ones that the big three have given up on. 

A standard livery - for council/nexus contracted services - should make a comeback across the board. There’s the grey area though with partly subsidised sections/evening runs etc. We’ve talked before about the transparency issue about this, and it’s still an issue really.

(27 Jun 2023, 1:47 pm)cbma06 A prefix character like a S for Secured or a N for Nexus etc… should be put in front of the service number, Along with the evening bus services that are secured, with the daytime service commercially ran by private commercial bus company.


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(27 Jun 2023, 3:09 pm)Andreos1 I'd argue it's the most cost effective way of doing it. 

Whether passengers would understand the S71 or N71 is the same as the 71 and goes the same route as the 71, is another matter like.

(27 Jun 2023, 10:38 pm)Storx Does it really matter who runs a bus? Put it on a timetable for all means but other than that it's irrelevant.

Personally I'd rather see the opposite where there's a bus, it takes me somewhere, and I have a ticket that I can use on any bus. Whether it's GoNorthEast, Stagecoach, Arriva, GCT, Stanley Travel and so is just irrelevant imo with no specific operator tickets at all and no unique branding ie. TFL in London.

It just causes confusion and offers no benefits at all. At the same time, arguably it would benefit people out the loop as the network would instantly look much bigger, rather than what's around where there's numerous networks by different operators with little integration especially advertising wise. Sadly Nexus is a waste of space though and don't do stuff like this.

A basic network map ie. https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/getmedia/a29dd2eb-fed2-497c-bb3b-c304008a217b/Sheffield-Network-Map-valid-October-2022.pdf would be a good start.

(27 Jun 2023, 11:38 pm)stagecoachbusdepot Nexus used to produce really high quality information including maps.  Unfortunately after doing so for decades, they decided to stop producing anything like this around 2011 in favour of....well, nowt.

(27 Jun 2023, 11:38 pm)stagecoachbusdepot Nexus used to produce really high quality information including maps.  Unfortunately after doing so for decades, they decided to stop producing anything like this around 2011 in favour of....well, nowt.

(28 Jun 2023, 4:46 am)DeltaMan The lack of any meaningful information is shameful. 

I challenge anybody to work out where they need to catch a Stagecoach bus in Newcastle City Centre as a new visitor. I think there is ONE poster at the junction of Blackett Street and Percy Street. Apart from that it's just Eldon Square and Haymarket for those specific locations. Oh, and out of date onward journey maps in Metro stations.

(27 Jun 2023, 11:38 pm)stagecoachbusdepot Nexus used to produce really high quality information including maps.  Unfortunately after doing so for decades, they decided to stop producing anything like this around 2011 in favour of....well, nowt.

(28 Jun 2023, 4:46 am)DeltaMan The lack of any meaningful information is shameful. 

I challenge anybody to work out where they need to catch a Stagecoach bus in Newcastle City Centre as a new visitor. I think there is ONE poster at the junction of Blackett Street and Percy Street. Apart from that it's just Eldon Square and Haymarket for those specific locations. Oh, and out of date onward journey maps in Metro stations.

(27 Jun 2023, 9:11 pm)Unber43 Well, S/N prefix already have associations, S = School N = Night Bus, idk whether people might be confused, not that they look at the number anyway

But also who really cares

(27 Jun 2023, 10:38 pm)Storx Does it really matter who runs a bus? Put it on a timetable for all means but other than that it's irrelevant.

Personally I'd rather see the opposite where there's a bus, it takes me somewhere, and I have a ticket that I can use on any bus. Whether it's GoNorthEast, Stagecoach, Arriva, GCT, Stanley Travel and so is just irrelevant imo with no specific operator tickets at all and no unique branding ie. TFL in London.

It just causes confusion and offers no benefits at all. At the same time, arguably it would benefit people out the loop as the network would instantly look much bigger, rather than what's around where there's numerous networks by different operators with little integration especially advertising wise. Sadly Nexus is a waste of space though and don't do stuff like this.

A basic network map ie. https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/getmedia/a29dd2eb-fed2-497c-bb3b-c304008a217b/Sheffield-Network-Map-valid-October-2022.pdf would be a good start.