"New" Open Toppers
"New" Open Toppers
(01 Jun 2022, 6:10 am)DRS37419 Just an idea but on many other sightseeing tours they have people on the buses doing the commentary and it makes it a lot more enjoyable for a passenger! Doesn't have to be anything flashy! Could even be weekends only but people enjoy having that commentary told to them by a person on board rather than an audio recording of someone who doesn't sound very local!
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(01 Jun 2022, 6:10 am)DRS37419 Just an idea but on many other sightseeing tours they have people on the buses doing the commentary and it makes it a lot more enjoyable for a passenger! Doesn't have to be anything flashy! Could even be weekends only but people enjoy having that commentary told to them by a person on board rather than an audio recording of someone who doesn't sound very local!
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(01 Jun 2022, 6:44 am)Dan It was two local people who voiced the original announcements - one is unmistakably Geordie…Unmistakably Geordie. Its a Geordie twang for most of it! Apart from when he says 'ToonTour' which is very much geordie but that's only a few times in your whole trip!
If GNE had someone on-board doing a live commentary I suspect the service would then become loss-making, and, judging by the cuts proposed on the local bus network, would result in it no longer running at all.
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(01 Jun 2022, 6:44 am)Dan It was two local people who voiced the original announcements - one is unmistakably Geordie…Unmistakably Geordie. Its a Geordie twang for most of it! Apart from when he says 'ToonTour' which is very much geordie but that's only a few times in your whole trip!
If GNE had someone on-board doing a live commentary I suspect the service would then become loss-making, and, judging by the cuts proposed on the local bus network, would result in it no longer running at all.
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How Geordie do you want to go? Do you remember the Alan Robson announcements from 2015 on the Quaylink? Or the Steve and Karen announcements on the Angel!
(01 Jun 2022, 6:47 am)DRS37419 Unmistakably Geordie. Its a Geordie twang for most of it! Apart from when he says 'ToonTour' which is very much geordie but that's only a few times in your whole trip!As well what I dont understand as how it would be loss running! Minimum wage to do weekends and school holidays with 1/2 days off a week. How would that be loss running!
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(01 Jun 2022, 6:47 am)DRS37419 Unmistakably Geordie. Its a Geordie twang for most of it! Apart from when he says 'ToonTour' which is very much geordie but that's only a few times in your whole trip!As well what I dont understand as how it would be loss running! Minimum wage to do weekends and school holidays with 1/2 days off a week. How would that be loss running!
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(01 Jun 2022, 6:58 am)DRS37419 As well what I dont understand as how it would be loss running! Minimum wage to do weekends and school holidays with 1/2 days off a week. How would that be loss running!
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(01 Jun 2022, 6:58 am)DRS37419 As well what I dont understand as how it would be loss running! Minimum wage to do weekends and school holidays with 1/2 days off a week. How would that be loss running!
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(01 Jun 2022, 7:02 am)Dan Good luck attracting anyone at minimum wage!Your not gonna get anyone who'll do it for life! You'll have someone who only wants a starting weekend job at 16 or someone who wants to add a bit more to the pension!
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(01 Jun 2022, 7:02 am)Dan Good luck attracting anyone at minimum wage!Your not gonna get anyone who'll do it for life! You'll have someone who only wants a starting weekend job at 16 or someone who wants to add a bit more to the pension!
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3999 is still hanging on being in use on the Toon Tour today whilst 6998 / 6999 remained in PM with one of the remaining debranded Toon Tour Volvo B7TLs.
(01 Jun 2022, 7:08 pm)Rapidsnap 3999 is still hanging on being in use on the Toon Tour today whilst 6998 / 6999 remained in PM with one of the remaining debranded Toon Tour Volvo B7TLs.6998 was at a test centre I think near Saltmedows the other day
(01 Jun 2022, 11:51 pm)Aaron21 6998 was at a test centre I think near Saltmedows the other day
(01 Jun 2022, 11:51 pm)Aaron21 6998 was at a test centre I think near Saltmedows the other day
![[Image: 52128156262_33f080a210_z.jpg]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52128156262_33f080a210_z.jpg)
Go North East 6999 / 897 EYX by kieron mathews, on FlickrGo North East 6999 / 897 EYX by kieron mathews, on Flickr
6999 has entered service
https://twitter.com/steve_g1985/status/1...24642?s=21&t=urXLcX97A-27zZ2QGyTnkw
(08 Jun 2022, 4:19 pm)ne14ne1 https://twitter.com/steve_g1985/status/1...24642?s=21&t=urXLcX97A-27zZ2QGyTnkw
(08 Jun 2022, 4:19 pm)ne14ne1 https://twitter.com/steve_g1985/status/1...24642?s=21&t=urXLcX97A-27zZ2QGyTnkw
No offer of a refund or gesture of goodwill?
Poor show
(01 Jun 2022, 7:02 am)Dan Good luck attracting anyone at minimum wage!Just to throw an alternative into the ring, could it be staffed part time? This is how a number of other tours work, including in London where it is very competitive. Only do live commentary where it is requested by hires or on some busy trips. This then means rather than 4 people, it could be done with 2. Granted still a high cost but could this in turn generate additional revenue on the tours?
But let’s say you could.
Two people to do it (for two PVR), plus one person to cover meal breaks. Add another to cover rest days during the summer season, so four people in total.
Let’s say all are paid 39hrs a week, for ten weeks of the year. That covers the fact that in reality the season runs longer but not all of those people would be paid a minimum of 39hrs.
390 hours * £9.50 (minimum wage) = £3,705.
£3,705 * 4 people = £14,820.
Plus on costs, at say around 30% (probably higher in reality), you’re up to £19,266.
As I say, the chance of employing anyone these days for less than the National Living Wage is slim to none… So your £19.2k here would actually be higher.
Stagecoach stopped running the City Sightseeing service for a reason. Presumably it is very low margin. GNE can probably run it more cost-effectively because they pay drivers at a lower rate and can run it more efficiently with DFDS drivers. Added revenue comes from hire of the open tops to interested parties, be that for a group hire for Toon Tour or for something else.
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(01 Jun 2022, 7:02 am)Dan Good luck attracting anyone at minimum wage!Just to throw an alternative into the ring, could it be staffed part time? This is how a number of other tours work, including in London where it is very competitive. Only do live commentary where it is requested by hires or on some busy trips. This then means rather than 4 people, it could be done with 2. Granted still a high cost but could this in turn generate additional revenue on the tours?
But let’s say you could.
Two people to do it (for two PVR), plus one person to cover meal breaks. Add another to cover rest days during the summer season, so four people in total.
Let’s say all are paid 39hrs a week, for ten weeks of the year. That covers the fact that in reality the season runs longer but not all of those people would be paid a minimum of 39hrs.
390 hours * £9.50 (minimum wage) = £3,705.
£3,705 * 4 people = £14,820.
Plus on costs, at say around 30% (probably higher in reality), you’re up to £19,266.
As I say, the chance of employing anyone these days for less than the National Living Wage is slim to none… So your £19.2k here would actually be higher.
Stagecoach stopped running the City Sightseeing service for a reason. Presumably it is very low margin. GNE can probably run it more cost-effectively because they pay drivers at a lower rate and can run it more efficiently with DFDS drivers. Added revenue comes from hire of the open tops to interested parties, be that for a group hire for Toon Tour or for something else.
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I’m sure if GNE reached out to NE1 or Newcastle council they’d find a wealth of volunteers who would take the roles on (like the newcastle city guides) for the pure love of the city region.
(16 May 2023, 6:20 pm)ne14ne1 Anyone know if GNE’s Euro6 (CAZ compliant) open tops will be used for The Late Show shuttles, rather than Stagecoach’s non-compliant Trident’s?
