North East Buses

My mistake. Thiught I was going crazy.

Load of people using the bus rather than taxi's due to this. especially from town to low fell after match

If the buses near you go a distance it's a win. numbers on X34 and 50 are well up, X24 busy all day with more chester road users. A visit to the Ale Gate at Alnwick usually adds up to 13/14 quid. 7 with the offer as its £2 Haymarket to Alnwick, driver said its £2 to Berwick as well! Mind you would be there long..

(21 Feb 2023, 8:59 am)54APhotography wrote [ -> ]If the buses near you go a distance it's a win. numbers on X34 and 50 are well up, X24 busy all day with more chester road users. A visit to the Ale Gate at Alnwick usually adds up to 13/14 quid. 7 with the offer as its £2 Haymarket to Alnwick, driver said its £2 to Berwick as well! Mind you would be there long..

Is an Explorer ticket not cheaper for a day out?

(21 Feb 2023, 9:23 am)RMF1254 wrote [ -> ]Is an Explorer ticket not cheaper for a day out?

50/50 its close, but still benefits those on a determined route. If you live in rural Northumberland this is a win for Newcastle travellers. Of course it has it's disadvantages. A simpler bonus for me would be Washington Galleries, £2 either way on 39B or 2/2A against the increased City of Sunderland day ticket at £4.70

(21 Feb 2023, 8:59 am)54APhotography wrote [ -> ]If the buses near you go a distance it's a win. numbers on X34 and 50 are well up, X24 busy all day with more chester road users. A visit to the Ale Gate at Alnwick usually adds up to 13/14 quid. 7 with the offer as its £2 Haymarket to Alnwick, driver said its £2 to Berwick as well! Mind you would be there long..

The problem is, that this £2 cap becomes like crack cocaine to bus users, if there's no long term plan for it. It's now extended for 3 months, but what happens after that? Some people will see three-fold fare 'increases', after spending 6 months getting hooked on £2 cheap singles. We saw the issue with GNE making fares almost too cheap, then a new MD coming in and wanting them hiked back up.

I also don't think it's been as popular as the Govt are making out. If it was, then there wouldn't be so much of an outcry over the Bus Recovery Grant (BRG) money coming to an end. Thankfully that has been extended as well, but we'll now get to May and the same outcries will come.

Bus networks in some areas, including the North East, need a massive overhaul and development, but no business in their right mind would do that with funding being so short-term.

(21 Feb 2023, 9:23 am)RMF1254 wrote [ -> ]Is an Explorer ticket not cheaper for a day out?

I would imagine an explorer would be a cheaper option as it includes the metro and ferry as there not in the £2. Scheme, unless you have a pop debit card.(and I think but not sure it includes the train between Sunderland and Blaydon) but don't quote me on this one.