North East Buses

Is it only the Streetlites for the 306 that will be in the Green Hybrid livery? (obviously the Sapphire ones won't be) I was just wondering since they are all Micro Hybrid

(29 Jun 2014, 2:49 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]Is it only the Streetlites for the 306 that will be in the Green Hybrid livery? (obviously the Sapphire ones won't be) I was just wondering since they are all Micro Hybrid

Yes just the ones for the 306. It's nothing to do with them being micro hybrids (that's just a name... It's basically regenerative braking) - more to do with keeping the same brand along the Coast Road with the 308 being in the same livery. The others will be in standard or Sapphire livery obviously.

Is the x15 to berwick meant to get some newer coaches or is it just double deckers

(29 Jun 2014, 4:36 pm)Philly rf wrote [ -> ]Is the x15 to berwick meant to get some newer coaches or is it just double deckers

Don't think the coaches could be sourced, so Omnicities and E400's.

Question for Scott to answer if possible please.
Do the buses on the short X93 between Whitby and Scarborough interwork with the Middlesbrough to Scarborough service ?
For instance the 1120 from Middlesbrough arrives Scarborough at 1333,
there is a return working at 1345 due Middlesbrough at 1559, but the 1215 from Scarborough arrives Whitby at 1312 so cannot make the 1306 back to Scarborugh so how does the changeover work ?

(29 Jun 2014, 9:26 pm)Coppercap40 wrote [ -> ]Question for Scott to answer if possible please.
Do the buses on the short X93 between Whitby and Scarborough interwork with the Middlesbrough to Scarborough service ?
For instance the 1120 from Middlesbrough arrives Scarborough at 1333,
there is a return working at 1345 due Middlesbrough at 1559, but the 1215 from Scarborough arrives Whitby at 1312 so cannot make the 1306 back to Scarborugh so how does the changeover work ?

The buses on the short workings stay on them all day, including the two from Redcar (which start/finish with a Mbro-Scar journey) - just with huge layovers in Whitby which count as the drivers' breaks.
Indeed that means the Middlesbrough-Scarborough journeys work on their own too, with drivers changing over in Whitby.

Does anyone know if there is any upcoming news or bus refurbishment/changes to service 2 from Blyth- Morpeth/Kirkhill?

Thanks Scott for clearing that up for me

Will the second lot of ex-london DAF's be withdrawn before the original Lowlanders with them being a year older, or will the Lowlanders be withdrawn first since they didn't recieve a refurbishment?

I must admit I'm not really much of an Arriva expert (not adventurous with them - I only travel in the Durham area with them and rarely stray away from the X2, 64 or 42). I was scanning the website the other night, and came across an ad for the ArrivaConnect Card, which is being launched in the Luton area. I assume it is the Arriva equivalent of the GNE Key Card or StagecoachSmart.

Just interested in people's thoughts and opinions.

Also, Admins, feel free to remove this thread if one's already been created.

(30 Jun 2014, 5:27 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]I must admit I'm not really much of an Arriva expert (not adventurous with them - I only travel in the Durham area with them and rarely stray away from the X2, 64 or 42). I was scanning the website the other night, and came across an ad for the ArrivaConnect Card, which is being launched in the Luton area. I assume it is the Arriva equivalent of the GNE Key Card or StagecoachSmart.

Just interested in people's thoughts and opinions.

Also, Admins, feel free to remove this thread if one's already been created.

It's exactly that. They're just about 4-5 years behind the Go Ahead Group in introducing the technology. No one I've spoken to has an indication of when it may be rolled out to the North East, so I'm stuck with paper tickets for now.

https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/connect/

(30 Jun 2014, 5:42 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]It's exactly that. They're just about 4-5 years behind the Go Ahead Group in introducing the technology. No one I've spoken to has an indication of when it may be rolled out to the North East, so I'm stuck with paper tickets for now.

https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/connect/

Must say if it does become a success and result in introduction in the North East - I will certinatley get my hands on one to make me feel a bit more confident with Arriva. Their regular fares are outrageous! About this time last year I used them regularly, and every journey I was charged a half fare. Now, at 13 years old, I'm forced to pay £2.70 on the X2 for a 15 MINUTE JOURNEY from Chester to Durham. As one of my inspirations would say - 'Unbelievable!'

(30 Jun 2014, 5:42 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]It's exactly that. They're just about 4-5 years behind the Go Ahead Group in introducing the technology. No one I've spoken to has an indication of when it may be rolled out to the North East, so I'm stuck with paper tickets for now.

https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/connect/

Only thing they've got one up on Go-Ahead for is the real-time technology - which I know Go-Ahead are still sorting out.

I think they want it to be a bit more reliable than the Live Map which Arriva offers, as Go-Ahead spotted one or two flaws in it.

(30 Jun 2014, 5:46 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]Must say if it does become a success and result in introduction in the North East - I will certinatley get my hands on one to make me feel a bit more confident with Arriva. Their regular fares are outrageous! About this time last year I used them regularly, and every journey I was charged a half fare. Now, at 13 years old, I'm forced to pay £2.70 on the X2 for a 15 MINUTE JOURNEY from Chester to Durham. As one of my inspirations would say - 'Unbelievable!'

Not sure how many times I've told you, it's different with Arriva. You only get charged half fare (well I only ever have) until you are 16. Same with Stagecoach.

(30 Jun 2014, 5:46 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Only thing they've got one up on Go-Ahead for is the real-time technology - which I know Go-Ahead are still sorting out.

I think they want it to be a bit more reliable than the Live Map which Arriva offers, as Go-Ahead spotted one or two flaws in it.

I find Arriva's website hard to use - but I guess that's due to the fact that I'm more GNE-based. Don't even get me started on the route maps!

(30 Jun 2014, 5:46 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Not sure how many times I've told you, it's different with Arriva. You only get charged half fare (well I only ever have) until you are 16. Same with Stagecoach.

Driver's seem to disagree. Despite me trying to explain that in the past I've just gotten on with a half, they seem to insist that I don't qualify.

(30 Jun 2014, 5:48 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]I find Arriva's website hard to use - but I guess that's due to the fact that I'm more GNE-based. Don't even get me started on the route maps!

My mam asked me to print off a couple of timetables a little while ago when she wanted to go to a few places like Middlesbrough etc...

She couldn't stand the Arriva timetables I'd printed out because some were over 8 pages.

I'm not keen on Arriva's website either though, but I guess it's entirely group based as to what is actually done to improve it.

(30 Jun 2014, 5:51 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]My mam asked me to print off a couple of timetables a little while ago when she wanted to go to a few places like Middlesbrough etc...

She couldn't stand the Arriva timetables I'd printed out because some were over 8 pages.

I'm not keen on Arriva's website either though, but I guess it's entirely group based as to what is actually done to improve it.

I just pick them up in Durham Bus Stn - the prepared timetables are alright - but like I say after spending so long looking at GNE timetables I just don't get them.

Why don't you get an Arriva Teencard? Half adult fare up to the maximum of £1?

Agree regarding the real time technology Dan. One of the biggest gripes I have is that if a bus loses data connection, it disappears off the map, rather than just reporting it's last known location.

(30 Jun 2014, 5:46 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Not sure how many times I've told you, it's different with Arriva. You only get charged half fare (well I only ever have) until you are 16. Same with Stagecoach.

I thought Stagecoach was 85p flat?