Tees Flex
Tees Flex
Does anyone know (other than the depot) where the Tees Flex buses tend to gather between pick ups.
I know Stillington is one location as I found 3 gathered there on Monday. Just need 2 more of the things to get photos of, and annoyingly they don't track anymore.
(16 Jun 2020, 10:58 pm)Rapidsnap Does anyone know (other than the depot) where the Tees Flex buses tend to gather between pick ups.
I know Stillington is one location as I found 3 gathered there on Monday. Just need 2 more of the things to get photos of, and annoyingly they don't track anymore.
(16 Jun 2020, 10:58 pm)Rapidsnap Does anyone know (other than the depot) where the Tees Flex buses tend to gather between pick ups.
I know Stillington is one location as I found 3 gathered there on Monday. Just need 2 more of the things to get photos of, and annoyingly they don't track anymore.
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Yeah the drivers tend to have their own favourite spots, and from what I gather are enjoying it. Carlin How in the club car park is a favourite spot as there's usually a burger van there, and as said Skelton Asda is another good one.
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More stops being added to Tees Flex in the near future
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and.../tees-flex
Billingham Town Centre being one that I've questioned for a good while as being missing.
Interesting addition of East Cleveland to James Cook Hospital for an additional £2 surplus charge - I wonder if something like that could not be offered for destinations in Hartlepool to North Tees Hospital. In addition, note the addition destinations added in Hartlepool.
(24 Aug 2020, 10:06 am)Kuyoyo More stops being added to Tees Flex in the near futureMaybe even Towards Peterlee. I dont know if they would want to muscle in on Arriva though.
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and.../tees-flex
Billingham Town Centre being one that I've questioned for a good while as being missing.
Interesting addition of East Cleveland to James Cook Hospital for an additional £2 surplus charge - I wonder if something like that could not be offered for destinations in Hartlepool to North Tees Hospital. In addition, note the addition destinations added in Hartlepool.
(24 Aug 2020, 10:06 am)Kuyoyo More stops being added to Tees Flex in the near futureMaybe even Towards Peterlee. I dont know if they would want to muscle in on Arriva though.
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and.../tees-flex
Billingham Town Centre being one that I've questioned for a good while as being missing.
Interesting addition of East Cleveland to James Cook Hospital for an additional £2 surplus charge - I wonder if something like that could not be offered for destinations in Hartlepool to North Tees Hospital. In addition, note the addition destinations added in Hartlepool.
(24 Aug 2020, 10:06 am)Kuyoyo More stops being added to Tees Flex in the near future
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and.../tees-flex
Billingham Town Centre being one that I've questioned for a good while as being missing.
Interesting addition of East Cleveland to James Cook Hospital for an additional £2 surplus charge - I wonder if something like that could not be offered for destinations in Hartlepool to North Tees Hospital. In addition, note the addition destinations added in Hartlepool.
(24 Aug 2020, 10:06 am)Kuyoyo More stops being added to Tees Flex in the near future
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and.../tees-flex
Billingham Town Centre being one that I've questioned for a good while as being missing.
Interesting addition of East Cleveland to James Cook Hospital for an additional £2 surplus charge - I wonder if something like that could not be offered for destinations in Hartlepool to North Tees Hospital. In addition, note the addition destinations added in Hartlepool.
(24 Aug 2020, 6:09 pm)stagecoachbusdepot Seems a bit morally wrong to be adding the surcharge for passengers travelling to hospital - most won't be doing it for leisure purposes after allAlso seems a bit wrong to be competing with commercial services using a tendered alternative!
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(24 Aug 2020, 6:09 pm)stagecoachbusdepot Seems a bit morally wrong to be adding the surcharge for passengers travelling to hospital - most won't be doing it for leisure purposes after allAlso seems a bit wrong to be competing with commercial services using a tendered alternative!
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Service Manager, Coatham Connect
(24 Aug 2020, 10:06 am)Kuyoyo More stops being added to Tees Flex in the near future
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and.../tees-flex
Billingham Town Centre being one that I've questioned for a good while as being missing.
Interesting addition of East Cleveland to James Cook Hospital for an additional £2 surplus charge - I wonder if something like that could not be offered for destinations in Hartlepool to North Tees Hospital. In addition, note the addition destinations added in Hartlepool.
(24 Aug 2020, 10:06 am)Kuyoyo More stops being added to Tees Flex in the near future
https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and.../tees-flex
Billingham Town Centre being one that I've questioned for a good while as being missing.
Interesting addition of East Cleveland to James Cook Hospital for an additional £2 surplus charge - I wonder if something like that could not be offered for destinations in Hartlepool to North Tees Hospital. In addition, note the addition destinations added in Hartlepool.
The Flex is a good DRT service but the Mayor’s party wrecked bus services with the 1985 Transport Act . Bus competition fizzled out by the early 1990s.
(24 Aug 2020, 8:09 pm)Economic505 The Flex is a good DRT service but the Mayor’s party wrecked bus services with the 1985 Transport Act . Bus competition fizzled out by the early 1990s.
(24 Aug 2020, 8:09 pm)Economic505 The Flex is a good DRT service but the Mayor’s party wrecked bus services with the 1985 Transport Act . Bus competition fizzled out by the early 1990s.
(24 Aug 2020, 8:09 pm)Economic505 The Flex is a good DRT service but the Mayor’s party wrecked bus services with the 1985 Transport Act . Bus competition fizzled out by the early 1990s.
(24 Aug 2020, 8:39 pm)James101 Good point, everyone who isn’t a shareholder in the big 4 lost out from dereg - most of all the passengers. But I dint think the Mayor can be held too accountable considering he was about a month off being born on deregulation day.
It’d be fantastic to see Bristol REs swinging by every lamppost in Hartlepool but in the real world The Flex is the most positive thing to happen to public transport in the Tees Valley for a decade.
(24 Aug 2020, 8:09 pm)Economic505 The Flex is a good DRT service but the Mayor’s party wrecked bus services with the 1985 Transport Act . Bus competition fizzled out by the early 1990s.
(24 Aug 2020, 8:39 pm)James101 Good point, everyone who isn’t a shareholder in the big 4 lost out from dereg - most of all the passengers. But I dint think the Mayor can be held too accountable considering he was about a month off being born on deregulation day.
It’d be fantastic to see Bristol REs swinging by every lamppost in Hartlepool but in the real world The Flex is the most positive thing to happen to public transport in the Tees Valley for a decade.
(24 Aug 2020, 9:02 pm)Storx It's very hard to blame it all on that. Nottingham and Edinburgh aren't doing no better than anywhere else and they're both council ran and the Tyne and Wear Metro which has been nationalised throughout bar a few years with DB Regio is way below it's 1985 levels and that's with an extension to Sunderland.
There's more to it such as the price of a car dropping and out of town shopping centres (remember the Metro Centre wasn't open then) that's done way more damage.
(24 Aug 2020, 9:02 pm)Storx It's very hard to blame it all on that. Nottingham and Edinburgh aren't doing no better than anywhere else and they're both council ran and the Tyne and Wear Metro which has been nationalised throughout bar a few years with DB Regio is way below it's 1985 levels and that's with an extension to Sunderland.
There's more to it such as the price of a car dropping and out of town shopping centres (remember the Metro Centre wasn't open then) that's done way more damage.
(24 Aug 2020, 9:11 pm)James101 Curious to hear by what measure you think Edinburgh and Nottingham are doing no better than Stagecoach in Hartlepool?
Network population coverage? Passenger satisfaction? Profit? Emissions?
(24 Aug 2020, 9:11 pm)James101 Curious to hear by what measure you think Edinburgh and Nottingham are doing no better than Stagecoach in Hartlepool?
Network population coverage? Passenger satisfaction? Profit? Emissions?
I m old enough to remember the integrated network in T&W , and still think it’s far better than what we have today imo. DRT is good but I have had some scheduled journeys cancelled at the very last minute, resulting in the need for a taxi .
Also , Flex doesn’t operate on a Sunday. - Which on one occasion meant, rather than pay for a taxi , I walked several miles in order to connect with a train.
(25 Aug 2020, 8:17 am)Rob44 As a regular up in Edinburgh i have to disagree. The bus service up there is 100% better than anything down here ( from my experience). Great prices, regular buses, real time information that actually works. Clean bus and MOST of the time pleasant drivers.I notice you mention great prices. If you take Lothian and then compare it to say Stagecoach Newcastle with been the main operator in Newcastle and Lothian the main operator in Edinburgh. Fair enough there is others in Newcastle, but there is also First and Stagecoach in the Edinburgh area. I think some people put Lothian in high regard but are they any better than any others.
(25 Aug 2020, 8:17 am)Rob44 As a regular up in Edinburgh i have to disagree. The bus service up there is 100% better than anything down here ( from my experience). Great prices, regular buses, real time information that actually works. Clean bus and MOST of the time pleasant drivers.I notice you mention great prices. If you take Lothian and then compare it to say Stagecoach Newcastle with been the main operator in Newcastle and Lothian the main operator in Edinburgh. Fair enough there is others in Newcastle, but there is also First and Stagecoach in the Edinburgh area. I think some people put Lothian in high regard but are they any better than any others.
(25 Aug 2020, 8:17 am)Rob44 As a regular up in Edinburgh i have to disagree. The bus service up there is 100% better than anything down here ( from my experience). Great prices, regular buses, real time information that actually works. Clean bus and MOST of the time pleasant drivers.
(25 Aug 2020, 8:17 am)Rob44 As a regular up in Edinburgh i have to disagree. The bus service up there is 100% better than anything down here ( from my experience). Great prices, regular buses, real time information that actually works. Clean bus and MOST of the time pleasant drivers.
Citaro - you are correct i was thinking more GNE and Arriva. You are comparing to Stagecoach Newcastle.... would you say they both serve the same type/size of area? Plus with the Lothian ticket can you not also use the ( tiny) tram network?
Adrian - i agree with you too. the The appt from GNE has improved.. On several occasions on the old version the bus looked like it was heading to the bus stop but when i arrived and waited ages only to find out from fellow passenger that it hadn't been or it had gone just before I arrived.. Also 90% of bus users can see the real time information. How many have a Smart phone, have the app down loaded and know how to use it? Also in the right place real time information could encourage bus use.
Used this for the first time recently.
Ordered it from Saltburn Station to Guisborough.
It was chucking down, so rushed to the canopy outside the station and saw a bus parked at the main bus stops.
Rushed over, approached bus and found out that it wasn't ours. Driver was freindly enough, pointed out he only had one booking and that was to go to Skelton.
Reminded us of the reg details appearing on the app and waited for his passenger. Seconds later, our vehicle appeared (it was one of the new 69 plates) and we boarded. As MrsC had already paid by PayPal, there wasn't much else for us to do. The driver confirmed we paid and we made our way to our seats.
Got to Guisborough just a few minutes later and off we went.
There was already one vehicle in Guisborough dropping someone off and another pulled in, dropping someone else off.
Didn't use the USB ports and thought the seats were reasonably comfortable (not luxurious at all) for the trip.
The trip cost £4.50 - which is cheaper than a taxi.
I can't help feeling that even in these times of social distancing, that the service could be used in a more cost effective manner.
Sticking us on the bus which went to Skelton and having it continue down the road would have added 5mins to the journey.
The buses arriving either side of us in to Guisborough, can't have come that far bearing in mind the size of the zone. Could loads have been consolidated from these 4 vehicles on to fewer?