Summer Fares Offer
Summer Fares Offer
(02 Aug 2021, 1:59 pm)Dan Don't be silly...
It's sad that there's been more discussion about a minor cosmetic issue on the map, than the actual campaign itself. I didn't think I'd see the day where Andreos1 had the most positive comments in the thread!
(02 Aug 2021, 1:59 pm)Dan Don't be silly...
It's sad that there's been more discussion about a minor cosmetic issue on the map, than the actual campaign itself. I didn't think I'd see the day where Andreos1 had the most positive comments in the thread!
(02 Aug 2021, 9:55 am)JP6004 Well not really it does say gateshead zone. Thought it would be obvious that coming from outside this zone would be more expensive.....you know as your not in gateshead. In the same way it's a set price in zone A on the metro, however if you come from outside zone A, the price goes upStrangers to the area and non bus users, whom this is presumably trying to attract to use the bus rather than simply giving existing passengers a discount, likely won't know where the local authority boundaries lie.
(02 Aug 2021, 9:55 am)JP6004 Well not really it does say gateshead zone. Thought it would be obvious that coming from outside this zone would be more expensive.....you know as your not in gateshead. In the same way it's a set price in zone A on the metro, however if you come from outside zone A, the price goes upStrangers to the area and non bus users, whom this is presumably trying to attract to use the bus rather than simply giving existing passengers a discount, likely won't know where the local authority boundaries lie.
(02 Aug 2021, 6:36 pm)busmanT Strangers to the area and non bus users, whom this is presumably trying to attract to use the bus rather than simply giving existing passengers a discount, likely won't know where the local authority boundaries lie.
As the fare finder disappeared some time ago, we can't compare any cross LA boundary single/return fares with the new flat fares to see if they jump up as you cross the boundary.
From the map I would think that Newcastle was included in the Gateshead zone (when travelling from Gateshead).
(02 Aug 2021, 6:36 pm)busmanT Strangers to the area and non bus users, whom this is presumably trying to attract to use the bus rather than simply giving existing passengers a discount, likely won't know where the local authority boundaries lie.
As the fare finder disappeared some time ago, we can't compare any cross LA boundary single/return fares with the new flat fares to see if they jump up as you cross the boundary.
From the map I would think that Newcastle was included in the Gateshead zone (when travelling from Gateshead).
(02 Aug 2021, 7:49 pm)deanmachine Is it really that confusing that Newcastle isn't in Gateshead though? Really? I could maybe understand people thinking a Newcastle ticket would be valid in Gateshead if they didn't know the area, but not the other way round. I've had plenty of passengers do this with different zones and I really struggle to understand they don't seem to realise this. South Tyneside passes not working in Sunderland and vice versa too, do people just not understand Geography?
(02 Aug 2021, 7:49 pm)deanmachine Is it really that confusing that Newcastle isn't in Gateshead though? Really? I could maybe understand people thinking a Newcastle ticket would be valid in Gateshead if they didn't know the area, but not the other way round. I've had plenty of passengers do this with different zones and I really struggle to understand they don't seem to realise this. South Tyneside passes not working in Sunderland and vice versa too, do people just not understand Geography?
(03 Aug 2021, 7:24 am)Adrian You have to take into account that not everyone understands ticketing to the degree that you (or other members of this forum) may do. Offers such as these are designed to encourage non or irregular bus users to use the bus, hence the savings/value element of the offer.
These are people who may currently use a car, and their car doesn't just stop working when they pass the 'Welcome to the City of Sunderland' sign between Whitburn and Seaburn. They shouldn't need to have to understand geography in order to use the bus. They should be able to look at clearly presented information, and then decide which ticket is correct for the journey(s) that they want to make today. When its not clear and leads to an incorrect ticket being purchased and sold, it inevitably ends up in a bad customer experience. That isn't going to encourage people to switch to the bus.
At least the map has been updated to remove the ambiguity and its now abundantly clear that Newcastle is outside the validity of the ticket zone. Although I'd have personally referred to the purple Go Zones ticket remaining the best option for those in Gateshead wanting to travel to Newcastle, otherwise looking at the 'Summer saving fares' page alone, you'd think the only option was an All Go Zones ticket..!
(03 Aug 2021, 7:24 am)Adrian You have to take into account that not everyone understands ticketing to the degree that you (or other members of this forum) may do. Offers such as these are designed to encourage non or irregular bus users to use the bus, hence the savings/value element of the offer.
These are people who may currently use a car, and their car doesn't just stop working when they pass the 'Welcome to the City of Sunderland' sign between Whitburn and Seaburn. They shouldn't need to have to understand geography in order to use the bus. They should be able to look at clearly presented information, and then decide which ticket is correct for the journey(s) that they want to make today. When its not clear and leads to an incorrect ticket being purchased and sold, it inevitably ends up in a bad customer experience. That isn't going to encourage people to switch to the bus.
At least the map has been updated to remove the ambiguity and its now abundantly clear that Newcastle is outside the validity of the ticket zone. Although I'd have personally referred to the purple Go Zones ticket remaining the best option for those in Gateshead wanting to travel to Newcastle, otherwise looking at the 'Summer saving fares' page alone, you'd think the only option was an All Go Zones ticket..!
(03 Aug 2021, 7:36 am)idiot I most admit i get confused about tickets sometimes.
(03 Aug 2021, 7:36 am)idiot I most admit i get confused about tickets sometimes.
(03 Aug 2021, 7:29 am)streetdeckfan I think the fact that even some enthusiasts on this forum, that do understand the ticketing, were even left confused says it all!
What they really need is to bring the fare calculator back (which MG says is coming back... at some point) with the ability to show the 'best ticket'
Ideally, the journey planner would act as a fare calculator as it takes into account split journeys
(03 Aug 2021, 7:29 am)streetdeckfan I think the fact that even some enthusiasts on this forum, that do understand the ticketing, were even left confused says it all!
What they really need is to bring the fare calculator back (which MG says is coming back... at some point) with the ability to show the 'best ticket'
Ideally, the journey planner would act as a fare calculator as it takes into account split journeys
The thing is, to me at least it's abundantly clear that it is a Gateshead Borough ticket. It would be more of a false advertisement for it to be valid in Newcastle. I've seen plenty of people shocked or almost insulted when their ticket won't scan in the town and when the driver has checked the ticket it's a Gateshead Day Saver. Something to the effect of:
"Can't use that here"
"Why not?"
"Because this is Newcastle, not Gateshead"
As for the map, you can see from rest of the boundary mirroring the route of the river that at no point does it cross into the Tyne, nevermind over it.
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(04 Aug 2021, 9:06 am)6049 The thing is, to me at least it's abundantly clear that it is a Gateshead Borough ticket. It would be more of a false advertisement for it to be valid in Newcastle. I've seen plenty of people shocked or almost insulted when their ticket won't scan in the town and when the driver has checked the ticket it's a Gateshead Day Saver. Something to the effect of:
"Can't use that here"
"Why not?"
"Because this is Newcastle, not Gateshead"
As for the map, you can see from rest of the boundary mirroring the route of the river that at no point does it cross into the Tyne, nevermind over it.
Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk
(04 Aug 2021, 9:06 am)6049 The thing is, to me at least it's abundantly clear that it is a Gateshead Borough ticket. It would be more of a false advertisement for it to be valid in Newcastle. I've seen plenty of people shocked or almost insulted when their ticket won't scan in the town and when the driver has checked the ticket it's a Gateshead Day Saver. Something to the effect of:
"Can't use that here"
"Why not?"
"Because this is Newcastle, not Gateshead"
As for the map, you can see from rest of the boundary mirroring the route of the river that at no point does it cross into the Tyne, nevermind over it.
Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk
Slight OT : it really doesn't help things that the council's bounded themselves together for tourists and brand as NewcastleGateshead.
https://newcastlegateshead.com/
Most folk otuside the region think they are the same place, most would say Baltic, Sage and Angel are in Newcastle as opposed to Gateshead.
I doubt many people are making point to point journeys in Gateshead, I'd rather have seen a slightly higher fare option that incorporates the Tyne crossing
(04 Aug 2021, 10:37 am)Ambassador Slight OT : it really doesn't help things that the council's bounded themselves together for tourists and brand as NewcastleGateshead.
https://newcastlegateshead.com/
Most folk otuside the region think they are the same place, most would say Baltic, Sage and Angel are in Newcastle as opposed to Gateshead.
I doubt many people are making point to point journeys in Gateshead, I'd rather have seen a slightly higher fare option that incorporates the Tyne crossing
(04 Aug 2021, 10:37 am)Ambassador Slight OT : it really doesn't help things that the council's bounded themselves together for tourists and brand as NewcastleGateshead.
https://newcastlegateshead.com/
Most folk otuside the region think they are the same place, most would say Baltic, Sage and Angel are in Newcastle as opposed to Gateshead.
I doubt many people are making point to point journeys in Gateshead, I'd rather have seen a slightly higher fare option that incorporates the Tyne crossing
(04 Aug 2021, 9:25 am)streetdeckfan Then why would they combine Newcastle and Gateshead together? They're not the same place, they're not ticketed the same. They should have been kept separate from the start
(04 Aug 2021, 9:25 am)streetdeckfan Then why would they combine Newcastle and Gateshead together? They're not the same place, they're not ticketed the same. They should have been kept separate from the start
(04 Aug 2021, 11:28 am)6049 Because it's designed to show the routes of the services as well as the boundaries. It wouldn't be practical to display all the colours going exactly into Newcastle and all the services on the map which serve Gateshead then serve Newcastle as the two major hubs. You'd have about 20 different coloured lines crossing the Tyne between the two hub circles which wouldn't fit or would look odd.
I've said this time and again, it always seems to be the case where operators are damned if they do and damned if they don't. GNE are being proactive and trying to encourage more people to leave their cars at home, but because something isn't absolutely perfect they're being criticised.
Quite frankly, if someone buys a Gateshead Day Ticket and then finds themselves having to pay to come back across to Gateshead from Newcastle I have no sympathy. Given that the Purple Day ticket is still priced at £5.30, that still represents best value for money for anyone going to Newcastle. With the new pricing scheme, I'd guess there's only about 20/30p difference in the price to pay for a single back to Gateshead where your ticket would be valid anyway.
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(04 Aug 2021, 11:28 am)6049 Because it's designed to show the routes of the services as well as the boundaries. It wouldn't be practical to display all the colours going exactly into Newcastle and all the services on the map which serve Gateshead then serve Newcastle as the two major hubs. You'd have about 20 different coloured lines crossing the Tyne between the two hub circles which wouldn't fit or would look odd.
I've said this time and again, it always seems to be the case where operators are damned if they do and damned if they don't. GNE are being proactive and trying to encourage more people to leave their cars at home, but because something isn't absolutely perfect they're being criticised.
Quite frankly, if someone buys a Gateshead Day Ticket and then finds themselves having to pay to come back across to Gateshead from Newcastle I have no sympathy. Given that the Purple Day ticket is still priced at £5.30, that still represents best value for money for anyone going to Newcastle. With the new pricing scheme, I'd guess there's only about 20/30p difference in the price to pay for a single back to Gateshead where your ticket would be valid anyway.
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(04 Aug 2021, 11:32 am)streetdeckfan All they needed to do was have the map the way they have it now.
And as I said before, that's how it was initially designed otherwise the '20' lines going across the river wouldn't have been there hidden underneath.
So, it was designed properly, then they stupidly decided to merge Newcastle and Gateshead, got called out on that design and went back to how it was to start with!
(04 Aug 2021, 11:32 am)streetdeckfan All they needed to do was have the map the way they have it now.
And as I said before, that's how it was initially designed otherwise the '20' lines going across the river wouldn't have been there hidden underneath.
So, it was designed properly, then they stupidly decided to merge Newcastle and Gateshead, got called out on that design and went back to how it was to start with!
There's way too many zones again imo.
Sunderland Zone, Sunderland District Zone, Red Zone just stick with one and make it easier for people to understand there's no need for 3 different type of day ticket for once place and if it means splitting the Buzz Zones or whatever they're called this week into more zones and offering a one zone (£3.90), 2 zone (£5.30), all zones ticket (£7.00). It's much easier to understand, similar to the Arriva Triple Tickets in SE Northumberland which everyone understands perfectly fine .
(04 Aug 2021, 11:49 am)6049 My point still stands. The furore over something so small is a bit daft. It wasn't false advertising as it's sold as a Gateshead Borough ticket, the price of crossing the river is clearly advertised.
(04 Aug 2021, 11:49 am)6049 My point still stands. The furore over something so small is a bit daft. It wasn't false advertising as it's sold as a Gateshead Borough ticket, the price of crossing the river is clearly advertised.
(04 Aug 2021, 12:34 pm)MurdnunoC Your point doesn't really stand though, does it?
It is advertised as a Gateshead Borough ticket, yet the ticket includes Springwell, which lies outside the Borough of Gateshead.
A small point of contention, perhaps. But if you're going to use the "Newcastle isn't the Borough of Gatehsead" argument, then you must accept that neither is Springwell and, ergo, your argument is flawed.
(04 Aug 2021, 12:34 pm)MurdnunoC Your point doesn't really stand though, does it?
It is advertised as a Gateshead Borough ticket, yet the ticket includes Springwell, which lies outside the Borough of Gateshead.
A small point of contention, perhaps. But if you're going to use the "Newcastle isn't the Borough of Gatehsead" argument, then you must accept that neither is Springwell and, ergo, your argument is flawed.
(04 Aug 2021, 9:06 am)6049 The thing is, to me at least it's abundantly clear that it is a Gateshead Borough ticket. It would be more of a false advertisement for it to be valid in Newcastle. I've seen plenty of people shocked or almost insulted when their ticket won't scan in the town and when the driver has checked the ticket it's a Gateshead Day Saver. Something to the effect of:
"Can't use that here"
"Why not?"
"Because this is Newcastle, not Gateshead"
As for the map, you can see from rest of the boundary mirroring the route of the river that at no point does it cross into the Tyne, nevermind over it.
Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk
(04 Aug 2021, 9:06 am)6049 The thing is, to me at least it's abundantly clear that it is a Gateshead Borough ticket. It would be more of a false advertisement for it to be valid in Newcastle. I've seen plenty of people shocked or almost insulted when their ticket won't scan in the town and when the driver has checked the ticket it's a Gateshead Day Saver. Something to the effect of:
"Can't use that here"
"Why not?"
"Because this is Newcastle, not Gateshead"
As for the map, you can see from rest of the boundary mirroring the route of the river that at no point does it cross into the Tyne, nevermind over it.
Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk
(04 Aug 2021, 12:44 pm)Drifter60 I’d completely agree with you if it wasn’t for two things:
1) A map that merged Newcastle and Gateshead into one super bubble
2) A ‘Sunderland District’ ticket that actually goes into County Durham.
There’s something to be said though about how many zones they’re are now, whilst I appreciate cheaper bus travel. In Seaham, you now have the option of the following day tickets:
- Seaham and Murton: £4.00
- Sunderland District: £4.00
- County Durham: £5.00
- Red Zone: £5.30
- All Zone: £7.00
There’s a fear of too many options. I mean I guess the Sunderland District and County Durham are temporary options, for now.
(04 Aug 2021, 12:44 pm)Drifter60 I’d completely agree with you if it wasn’t for two things:
1) A map that merged Newcastle and Gateshead into one super bubble
2) A ‘Sunderland District’ ticket that actually goes into County Durham.
There’s something to be said though about how many zones they’re are now, whilst I appreciate cheaper bus travel. In Seaham, you now have the option of the following day tickets:
- Seaham and Murton: £4.00
- Sunderland District: £4.00
- County Durham: £5.00
- Red Zone: £5.30
- All Zone: £7.00
There’s a fear of too many options. I mean I guess the Sunderland District and County Durham are temporary options, for now.
