Go North East | Sunday timetables all weekend
Go North East | Sunday timetables all weekend
(06 Jan 2022, 6:09 pm)Driver9*** So what's the alternative then? Russle up 30 or whatever extra drivers from thin air?
Expect the fit drivers to come in on their rest days for the same rate of pay and in the process probably get zero thanks for doing so from the company or general public?
(06 Jan 2022, 6:09 pm)Driver9*** So what's the alternative then? Russle up 30 or whatever extra drivers from thin air?
Expect the fit drivers to come in on their rest days for the same rate of pay and in the process probably get zero thanks for doing so from the company or general public?
(06 Jan 2022, 7:18 pm)Adrian Encourage people to use their own private car instead? I know that isn't the message they'll be wanting to send, but that is exactly what this is doing. The public perception in public transport reliability is already poor, without it hitting a nuclear low.Well Arriva still seem to think £9.30/hr is a reasonable starting rate for drivers. Of course it's a pittance but they know there will always be some desperate enough to work for it, hence they get away with it.
Even if this was planned in advance, doing it with less than 48 hours notice is rash and does not give people the time to plan alternative transport.
I realise that this is not impacting one operator, and that it is industry-wide, but as has been discussed on this forum previously. It's not an issue solely created by the pandemic. There are numerous factors involved, but it's one exacerbated by it.
The industry has struggled to recruit and retain staff for years, and must have spent millions over the years in the process.
(06 Jan 2022, 7:18 pm)Adrian Encourage people to use their own private car instead? I know that isn't the message they'll be wanting to send, but that is exactly what this is doing. The public perception in public transport reliability is already poor, without it hitting a nuclear low.Well Arriva still seem to think £9.30/hr is a reasonable starting rate for drivers. Of course it's a pittance but they know there will always be some desperate enough to work for it, hence they get away with it.
Even if this was planned in advance, doing it with less than 48 hours notice is rash and does not give people the time to plan alternative transport.
I realise that this is not impacting one operator, and that it is industry-wide, but as has been discussed on this forum previously. It's not an issue solely created by the pandemic. There are numerous factors involved, but it's one exacerbated by it.
The industry has struggled to recruit and retain staff for years, and must have spent millions over the years in the process.
(06 Jan 2022, 10:23 pm)GNE6312 Not sure how much this would help but could GNE not suspend all their NX services and use the NX drivers on service work to cover the shortages.I don't think National Express would be happy about that.
(06 Jan 2022, 10:23 pm)GNE6312 Not sure how much this would help but could GNE not suspend all their NX services and use the NX drivers on service work to cover the shortages.I don't think National Express would be happy about that.
(06 Jan 2022, 10:23 pm)GNE6312 Not sure how much this would help but could GNE not suspend all their NX services and use the NX drivers on service work to cover the shortages.
(06 Jan 2022, 10:23 pm)GNE6312 Not sure how much this would help but could GNE not suspend all their NX services and use the NX drivers on service work to cover the shortages.
(06 Jan 2022, 7:18 pm)Adrian Encourage people to use their own private car instead? I know that isn't the message they'll be wanting to send, but that is exactly what this is doing. The public perception in public transport reliability is already poor, without it hitting a nuclear low.Absolutely this. Why anyone with any other possible alternative would stick with, let alone even consider switching to, public transport after the eternally worsening provision is beyond me. Realise a lot of this is to an extent (but far from entirely) unavoidable due to current levels of sickness/absence, it only serves to highlight even more the biggest weakness of public transport vs the car - you are at the absolute mercy of the operators in terms of if, or when, your transport turns up (with very little or no notice) let alone how direct or not your route is etc. Martijn has been really vocal on social media demonising the car and cooing about why there's no need to own one...really?
Even if this was planned in advance, doing it with less than 48 hours notice is rash and does not give people the time to plan alternative transport.
I realise that this is not impacting one operator, and that it is industry-wide, but as has been discussed on this forum previously. It's not an issue solely created by the pandemic. There are numerous factors involved, but it's one exacerbated by it.
The industry has struggled to recruit and retain staff for years, and must have spent millions over the years in the process.
(06 Jan 2022, 7:18 pm)Adrian Encourage people to use their own private car instead? I know that isn't the message they'll be wanting to send, but that is exactly what this is doing. The public perception in public transport reliability is already poor, without it hitting a nuclear low.Absolutely this. Why anyone with any other possible alternative would stick with, let alone even consider switching to, public transport after the eternally worsening provision is beyond me. Realise a lot of this is to an extent (but far from entirely) unavoidable due to current levels of sickness/absence, it only serves to highlight even more the biggest weakness of public transport vs the car - you are at the absolute mercy of the operators in terms of if, or when, your transport turns up (with very little or no notice) let alone how direct or not your route is etc. Martijn has been really vocal on social media demonising the car and cooing about why there's no need to own one...really?
Even if this was planned in advance, doing it with less than 48 hours notice is rash and does not give people the time to plan alternative transport.
I realise that this is not impacting one operator, and that it is industry-wide, but as has been discussed on this forum previously. It's not an issue solely created by the pandemic. There are numerous factors involved, but it's one exacerbated by it.
The industry has struggled to recruit and retain staff for years, and must have spent millions over the years in the process.
(07 Jan 2022, 12:17 am)stagecoachbusdepot Absolutely this. Why anyone with any other possible alternative would stick with, let alone even consider switching to, public transport after the eternally worsening provision is beyond me. Realise a lot of this is to an extent (but far from entirely) unavoidable due to current levels of sickness/absence, it only serves to highlight even more the biggest weakness of public transport vs the car - you are at the absolute mercy of the operators in terms of if, or when, your transport turns up (with very little or no notice) let alone how direct or not your route is etc. Martijn has been really vocal on social media demonising the car and cooing about why there's no need to own one...really?I was unable to get home last night because of a late running 49, so I had to stay over at my grandfather's.
(07 Jan 2022, 12:17 am)stagecoachbusdepot Absolutely this. Why anyone with any other possible alternative would stick with, let alone even consider switching to, public transport after the eternally worsening provision is beyond me. Realise a lot of this is to an extent (but far from entirely) unavoidable due to current levels of sickness/absence, it only serves to highlight even more the biggest weakness of public transport vs the car - you are at the absolute mercy of the operators in terms of if, or when, your transport turns up (with very little or no notice) let alone how direct or not your route is etc. Martijn has been really vocal on social media demonising the car and cooing about why there's no need to own one...really?I was unable to get home last night because of a late running 49, so I had to stay over at my grandfather's.
(06 Jan 2022, 7:18 pm)Adrian Encourage people to use their own private car instead? I know that isn't the message they'll be wanting to send, but that is exactly what this is doing. The public perception in public transport reliability is already poor, without it hitting a nuclear low.I started to do the maths (granted its using figures and procedures which are 15 years old), but that's when I was last involved in the training of drivers, booking tests, allocating vehicles etc.
Even if this was planned in advance, doing it with less than 48 hours notice is rash and does not give people the time to plan alternative transport.
I realise that this is not impacting one operator, and that it is industry-wide, but as has been discussed on this forum previously. It's not an issue solely created by the pandemic. There are numerous factors involved, but it's one exacerbated by it.
The industry has struggled to recruit and retain staff for years, and must have spent millions over the years in the process.
(06 Jan 2022, 7:18 pm)Adrian Encourage people to use their own private car instead? I know that isn't the message they'll be wanting to send, but that is exactly what this is doing. The public perception in public transport reliability is already poor, without it hitting a nuclear low.I started to do the maths (granted its using figures and procedures which are 15 years old), but that's when I was last involved in the training of drivers, booking tests, allocating vehicles etc.
Even if this was planned in advance, doing it with less than 48 hours notice is rash and does not give people the time to plan alternative transport.
I realise that this is not impacting one operator, and that it is industry-wide, but as has been discussed on this forum previously. It's not an issue solely created by the pandemic. There are numerous factors involved, but it's one exacerbated by it.
The industry has struggled to recruit and retain staff for years, and must have spent millions over the years in the process.
(06 Jan 2022, 4:22 pm)Andreos1 Wonder when they decide to share it with the wider public? The people using those services and needing to use them to get places.Will the Sunday running times cope with Saturday passenger levels and Saturday road traffic?
There's not much time left to get the message out there.
Is it cynical of me to expect quite a few complaints over the weekend and in to next week?
Is it even more cynical of me to expect a shrug of the shoulders and a 'we told you, we updated the website and notices went on buses - you should have paid attention' kind of response?
Is it inevitable that the drivers who have managed to bat Covid away and haven't moved on to bigger and better things, are the ones who will get it in the neck?
(06 Jan 2022, 4:22 pm)Andreos1 Wonder when they decide to share it with the wider public? The people using those services and needing to use them to get places.Will the Sunday running times cope with Saturday passenger levels and Saturday road traffic?
There's not much time left to get the message out there.
Is it cynical of me to expect quite a few complaints over the weekend and in to next week?
Is it even more cynical of me to expect a shrug of the shoulders and a 'we told you, we updated the website and notices went on buses - you should have paid attention' kind of response?
Is it inevitable that the drivers who have managed to bat Covid away and haven't moved on to bigger and better things, are the ones who will get it in the neck?
Given there is still mileage to cover at Washington tomorrow based on this https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/short-noti...0Januaryen
It makes you think how bad it would have been without the Sunday times
(07 Jan 2022, 6:05 pm)DeltaMan Given there is still mileage to cover at Washington tomorrow based on this https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/short-noti...0JanuaryenIt also makes you wonder if public transport is as safe as its claimed to be, with little in place to protect the driver and customers.
It makes you think how bad it would have been without the Sunday times
(07 Jan 2022, 6:05 pm)DeltaMan Given there is still mileage to cover at Washington tomorrow based on this https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/short-noti...0JanuaryenIt also makes you wonder if public transport is as safe as its claimed to be, with little in place to protect the driver and customers.
It makes you think how bad it would have been without the Sunday times
(07 Jan 2022, 6:27 pm)Adrian It also makes you wonder if public transport is as safe as its claimed to be, with little in place to protect the driver and customers.At the start of the pandemic "patchy" is probably a fair statement
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(07 Jan 2022, 6:27 pm)Adrian It also makes you wonder if public transport is as safe as its claimed to be, with little in place to protect the driver and customers.At the start of the pandemic "patchy" is probably a fair statement
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(07 Jan 2022, 5:22 pm)busmanT Will the Sunday running times cope with Saturday passenger levels and Saturday road traffic?Given the levels of traffic around key retail sites recently, I'd hazard a guess there's going to be even more delays and missed runs tomorrow. In addition to the runs already cancelled.
or will there be lots of late running?
(07 Jan 2022, 6:56 pm)DeltaMan At the start of the pandemic "patchy" is probably a fair statementI'd love to know what measures have been put in to place around driver handovers.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com...455845.amp
I have to say some of the travelling public do not help. I've witnessed first hand customers passing masks between themselves onboard
(07 Jan 2022, 5:22 pm)busmanT Will the Sunday running times cope with Saturday passenger levels and Saturday road traffic?Given the levels of traffic around key retail sites recently, I'd hazard a guess there's going to be even more delays and missed runs tomorrow. In addition to the runs already cancelled.
or will there be lots of late running?
(07 Jan 2022, 6:56 pm)DeltaMan At the start of the pandemic "patchy" is probably a fair statementI'd love to know what measures have been put in to place around driver handovers.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com...455845.amp
I have to say some of the travelling public do not help. I've witnessed first hand customers passing masks between themselves onboard
(07 Jan 2022, 6:56 pm)DeltaMan At the start of the pandemic "patchy" is probably a fair statement
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com...455845.amp
I have to say some of the travelling public do not help. I've witnessed first hand customers passing masks between themselves onboard
(07 Jan 2022, 7:39 pm)Andreos1 Given the levels of traffic around key retail sites recently, I'd hazard a guess there's going to be even more delays and missed runs tomorrow. In addition to the runs already cancelled.
Can see people waiting an hour for a service which is normally every 12mins or so on a Saturday.
It's not going to do the operators long-term prospects any good.
People will see these services as unreliable (regardless of the pandemic) and I can't see too many being that understanding when that hour waiting is cold, wet and possibly snowy. Particularly with kids in tow.
I have some sympathy for the operators being put in to this situation, but I still think a lot of the issues are a legacy of poor management and those poor managers getting away with far too much, for far too long. Drivers aren't just a number to be easily replaced. The pandemic has shown that.
I'd love to know what measures have been put in to place around driver handovers.
I've seen driver handovers, but I've not seen any drivers clean and sanitise the cockpit (either getting in or getting out) or the van they've used to get from Washington depot to the Galleries and vice versa.
(07 Jan 2022, 6:56 pm)DeltaMan At the start of the pandemic "patchy" is probably a fair statement
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com...455845.amp
I have to say some of the travelling public do not help. I've witnessed first hand customers passing masks between themselves onboard
(07 Jan 2022, 7:39 pm)Andreos1 Given the levels of traffic around key retail sites recently, I'd hazard a guess there's going to be even more delays and missed runs tomorrow. In addition to the runs already cancelled.
Can see people waiting an hour for a service which is normally every 12mins or so on a Saturday.
It's not going to do the operators long-term prospects any good.
People will see these services as unreliable (regardless of the pandemic) and I can't see too many being that understanding when that hour waiting is cold, wet and possibly snowy. Particularly with kids in tow.
I have some sympathy for the operators being put in to this situation, but I still think a lot of the issues are a legacy of poor management and those poor managers getting away with far too much, for far too long. Drivers aren't just a number to be easily replaced. The pandemic has shown that.
I'd love to know what measures have been put in to place around driver handovers.
I've seen driver handovers, but I've not seen any drivers clean and sanitise the cockpit (either getting in or getting out) or the van they've used to get from Washington depot to the Galleries and vice versa.
Noticed these couple of tweets earlier in regards to the X1
Likely to be this journey, with people trying to get into Newcastle in time for the match. Most of whom likely only use buses on match days, and won't have seen the (less than 48 hours) notice in the app or website unless they to looking for it.
Opening the app itself only shows the disruption once you select an individual stop that the service serves. The general banner doesn't mention it at all.
If I was on that X1 today and I had another option available, I just wouldn't bother again in the future.
Clearly 'BETTER than ever' is alive and kicking, and that's before I get onto my 35 minute wait at Birtley for a 21...
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(08 Jan 2022, 3:46 pm)Adrian Noticed these couple of tweets earlier in regards to the X1
Likely to be this journey, with people trying to get into Newcastle in time for the match. Most of whom likely only use buses on match days, and won't have seen the (less than 48 hours) notice in the app or website unless they to looking for it.
Opening the app itself only shows the disruption once you select an individual stop that the service serves. The general banner doesn't mention it at all.
If I was on that X1 today and I had another option available, I just wouldn't bother again in the future.
Clearly 'BETTER than ever' is alive and kicking, and that's before I get onto my 35 minute wait at Birtley for a 21...
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
(08 Jan 2022, 3:46 pm)Adrian Noticed these couple of tweets earlier in regards to the X1
Likely to be this journey, with people trying to get into Newcastle in time for the match. Most of whom likely only use buses on match days, and won't have seen the (less than 48 hours) notice in the app or website unless they to looking for it.
Opening the app itself only shows the disruption once you select an individual stop that the service serves. The general banner doesn't mention it at all.
If I was on that X1 today and I had another option available, I just wouldn't bother again in the future.
Clearly 'BETTER than ever' is alive and kicking, and that's before I get onto my 35 minute wait at Birtley for a 21...
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
(08 Jan 2022, 3:46 pm)Adrian Noticed these couple of tweets earlier in regards to the X1
Likely to be this journey, with people trying to get into Newcastle in time for the match. Most of whom likely only use buses on match days, and won't have seen the (less than 48 hours) notice in the app or website unless they to looking for it.
Opening the app itself only shows the disruption once you select an individual stop that the service serves. The general banner doesn't mention it at all.
If I was on that X1 today and I had another option available, I just wouldn't bother again in the future.
Clearly 'BETTER than ever' is alive and kicking, and that's before I get onto my 35 minute wait at Birtley for a 21...
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
(08 Jan 2022, 3:46 pm)Adrian Noticed these couple of tweets earlier in regards to the X1
Likely to be this journey, with people trying to get into Newcastle in time for the match. Most of whom likely only use buses on match days, and won't have seen the (less than 48 hours) notice in the app or website unless they to looking for it.
Opening the app itself only shows the disruption once you select an individual stop that the service serves. The general banner doesn't mention it at all.
If I was on that X1 today and I had another option available, I just wouldn't bother again in the future.
Clearly 'BETTER than ever' is alive and kicking, and that's before I get onto my 35 minute wait at Birtley for a 21...
Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
(08 Jan 2022, 4:20 pm)mb134 Regardless of the decision to reduce service level, it's beyond belief that the driver decided to risk their livelihood to get a few extra punters into town. They shouldn't have been put in that position by the company anyway, but you don't go and make it worse by allowing folk to stand upstairs and inevitably also breaking capacity limits.Chances are it is full from Washington, where there are no other links and through Springwell.
It was well publicised that today's cup game was going to be essentially sold out well in advance, which makes the decision to cut service to a Sunday level even worse.
(08 Jan 2022, 4:20 pm)mb134 Regardless of the decision to reduce service level, it's beyond belief that the driver decided to risk their livelihood to get a few extra punters into town. They shouldn't have been put in that position by the company anyway, but you don't go and make it worse by allowing folk to stand upstairs and inevitably also breaking capacity limits.Chances are it is full from Washington, where there are no other links and through Springwell.
It was well publicised that today's cup game was going to be essentially sold out well in advance, which makes the decision to cut service to a Sunday level even worse.
(08 Jan 2022, 4:41 pm)Omega54 Chances are it is full from Washington, where there are no other links and through Springwell.
Where else are they going to go. Wait for the next one - then the one after that will be full.
(08 Jan 2022, 4:41 pm)Omega54 Chances are it is full from Washington, where there are no other links and through Springwell.
Where else are they going to go. Wait for the next one - then the one after that will be full.