North East Buses

Will the new yutong buses what are supposed to be coming this year also have Mobitec displays?

(01 May 2022, 6:53 am)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]was coming out of gateshead one day last week and a 54 " voltra" was pulling in the display stated on the bottom " leaving in 5 minutes".  Found this strange but a good idea at the same time !

Saw it for the first time on Blackpool Transport about a month ago. Would be pretty handy if it said how late the bus is when Mavis or whoever asks the bus to wait 10 years for her mate Ethel slowly coming up the road on her zimmer frame. Not that anyone actually reads the destination board.

(02 May 2022, 12:49 pm)tcts24 wrote [ -> ]Saw it for the first time on Blackpool Transport about a month ago. Would be pretty handy if it said how late the bus is when Mavis or whoever asks the bus to wait 10 years for her mate Ethel slowly coming up the road on her zimmer frame. Not that anyone actually reads the destination board.

i can imagine it would be handy at say gateshead metro if you choose to bus it to Newcastle.  I'm sure most of us have jumped on the first bus with Newcastle on only to find the driver is.... changing over/ wanting to ring someone on his mobile, wanting a tab or a vap or just to stretch his legs and 3 buses fly passed as you wait there for 5 minutes!

(02 May 2022, 1:13 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]i can imagine it would be handy at say gateshead metro if you choose to bus it to Newcastle.  I'm sure most of us have jumped on the first bus with Newcastle on only to find the driver is.... changing over/ wanting to ring someone on his mobile, wanting a tab or a vap or just to stretch his legs and 3 buses fly passed as you wait there for 5 minutes!

That scenario is understandable. But it's a bit different when people stick their hand out for a bus with "Not in Service" on the front of it. A far more common occurance than you probably think! Or services with multiple destinations where a customer gets on and asks for a fare to somewhere the bus doesn't go. Customers don't care what it says on the front, they see a bus and expect it to take them to where they want. I drove in service yesterday with not just the wrong destination, but also the wrong number! I'd done about 80% of the route before anyone pointed it out.

(02 May 2022, 1:33 pm)tcts24 wrote [ -> ]That scenario is understandable. But it's a bit different when people stick their hand out for a bus with "Not in Service" on the front of it. A far more common occurance than you probably think! Or services with multiple destinations where a customer gets on and asks for a fare to somewhere the bus doesn't go. Customers don't care what it says on the front, they see a bus and expect it to take them to where they want. I drove in service yesterday with not just the wrong destination, but also the wrong number! I'd done about 80% of the route before anyone pointed it out.

that's not just buses though.......... i could tell you where i work it doesn't matter how many, how big or how illuminated they are someone will still ask how do i get too.............

(02 May 2022, 1:33 pm)tcts24 wrote [ -> ]That scenario is understandable. But it's a bit different when people stick their hand out for a bus with "Not in Service" on the front of it. A far more common occurance than you probably think! Or services with multiple destinations where a customer gets on and asks for a fare to somewhere the bus doesn't go. Customers don't care what it says on the front, they see a bus and expect it to take them to where they want. I drove in service yesterday with not just the wrong destination, but also the wrong number! I'd done about 80% of the route before anyone pointed it out.

I was on a 56 towards Sunderland that had 'Newcastle' on the front the whole way (which of course knocked off the announcements) a couple weeks ago. Would've told the driver when i got off but my stop was like 4 or 5 before it arrived at Park Lane. Honestly, don't think anyone getting on noticed (and ironically I could've sworn it said 'Sunderland' when I got on!).

While we're here, I think many routes could just get away with this:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/27204054@N07/30675961784

(not the 61 though, because Dalton Park)

I presume some of these suggestions are being made in jest.

Although regulars will fairly confidently board their bus if heading in the right direction despite the driving having failed to change the destination from the previous journey, it would be stupid to suggest we do away with destinations completely, or route numbers in favour of route names as others have done.

The bus network must be simple to understand and easy to use at the end of the day, not just for the regulars but for the infrequent and new users too. 

People unfamiliar with the area/direction of travel should be able to quickly board an approaching bus with a suitable destination displayed without having to study the literature displayed at the stop first. 

Likewise a reason for keeping route numbers, colour blind or partially sighted people may not rely on route branding, and people with little/no English or who cannot read at all would find it more difficult to identify a route name over a route number.

(03 May 2022, 1:58 pm)ne14ne1 wrote [ -> ]I presume some of these suggestions are being made in jest.

Although regulars will fairly confidently board their bus if heading in the right direction despite the driving having failed to change the destination from the previous journey, it would be stupid to suggest we do away with destinations completely, or route numbers in favour of route names as others have done.

The bus network must be simple to understand and easy to use at the end of the day, not just for the regulars but for the infrequent and new users too. 

People unfamiliar with the area/direction of travel should be able to quickly board an approaching bus with a suitable destination displayed without having to study the literature displayed at the stop first. 

Likewise a reason for keeping route numbers, colour blind or partially sighted people may not rely on route branding, and people with little/no English or who cannot read at all would find it more difficult to identify a route name over a route number.

DIFFERENT BUS ROUTES BUT WITH THE SAME NUMBER ARE THE BAIN OF MY LIFE. THERE ARE 999 PLUS DIFFENT PERMUTATION BUS COMPANIES COULD USE BUT THEY ALL SEEM HELL BENT ON JUST USING 1-100 WITH A FEW LETTERS THROWN IN.... EXCEPT FOT THE ODD EXCEPTIONS

(03 May 2022, 2:25 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]DIFFERENT BUS ROUTES BUT WITH THE SAME NUMBER ARE THE BAIN OF MY LIFE. THERE ARE 999 PLUS DIFFENT PERMUTATION BUS COMPANIES COULD USE BUT THEY ALL SEEM HELL BENT ON JUST USING 1-100 WITH A FEW LETTERS THROWN IN.... EXCEPT FOT THE ODD EXCEPTIONS

Agreed. It’s ridiculous. 
At one point in Central Newcastle we had services
1, 1, N1, Q1, X1 & X1A.

As I'm sure many of you are aware, Holmeside in Sunderland has 2 route 20s serving it, going to different places and operated by different companies. Wouldn't surprise me if someone's got on the GNE 20 wanting to go to Pennywell.

Also my suggestion of ditching destinations altogether was a bit tongue-in-cheek.

I'm just about old enough to remember "Service" being a popular destination for buses.

(04 May 2022, 7:03 pm)tcts24 wrote [ -> ]I'm just about old enough to remember "Service" being a popular destination for buses.

I was convinced 'Northern' was a place!
Constantly on display on bus blinds and there's a rugby club with the same name!

https://www.northernfootballclub.co.uk/

(04 May 2022, 8:30 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]I was convinced 'Northern' was a place!
Constantly on display on bus blinds and there's a rugby club with the same name!

https://www.northernfootballclub.co.uk/

Now you mention it, I forgot Wear Buses frequently went to 'OK Travel'.

First time I’ve noticed a route name on the destination screen:

https://flic.kr/p/2nNJZ2i

(24 Sep 2022, 3:20 pm)ne14ne1 wrote [ -> ]First time I’ve noticed a route name on the destination screen:

https://flic.kr/p/2nNJZ2i

Honestly, I think that is a great use of the double height display, especially when the wrong branded vehicles are operating on the route!


Now I've got used to seeing the double height displays on the X21 with them using the StreetDecks, every time I see one of the B5s it looks crap, there's so much wasted black space above and below!

(24 Sep 2022, 3:23 pm)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]Honestly, I think that is a great use of the double height display, especially when the wrong branded vehicles are operating on the route!


Now I've got used to seeing the double height displays on the X21 with them using the StreetDecks, every time I see one of the B5s it looks crap, there's so much wasted black space above and below!

I think it might only show from Gateshead, as the Display said Market Street. 

But also they're great when a bus is on diversion too

On the 58 it shows

East Gateshead Rider

Market Street

Just seen a photo of 5327 its missing half of its front display. https://www.flickr.com/photos/189582233@...1642903738

Been like that for at least a week - surprised it's out in service tbh , as if it weren't a colour RN display, that wouldn't be showing any route number at all.

Is it just me or does it seem to be taking GNE a lot longer to transfer all of the front destination numbers back over to the right side than it did when they moved them to the left.