North East Buses

Spotted on Facebook that City Transport is intending to run essentially a short 4 (Galleries to Heworth). They claim to have Nexus support to submit a short notice registration:

Hi all - some positive news in that Nexus are happy to support us registering a bus service at short notice!

This means that the service will no longer have to work on the original proposal of it being pre booked, and that instead you will be able to board and pay the driver like a regular service bus.

We do still intend to pick up only at Galleries, Concord and Heworth, as we are expecting the service to be extremely busy - although we will possibly be able to drop off at any stop.

We are hoping to submit all the documents to the Traffic Commissioner on Monday morning and start the service literally as soon as they give us the approval - although please realise that this step could take a few days.

There is an awful lot of work for me and my team to get this going so please bear with us, and I will do my best to keep you all updated on this group. If you have any questions please put them in the comments and I will get round to responding as soon as I can.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/10400303...360431794/

Sent from my SM-S916B using Tapatalk

If this goes ahead, a lot more companies will start doing this, I mean there is loads.

20. 56. 60, 10. Maybe heavily reduced but maybe we might see more of this. if this happens could be massive for Independants

I'd be genuinely amazed if that gets approved and others weren't then looking at the following.....

Newcastle to Metrocentre is around 20 mins each way

Birtley to Gateshead is around 25 mins each way

Wrekenton to Gateshead is around 20 mins each way

Metrocentre via Dunston to Gateshead is around 25 mins each way

Sunderland to Houghton is around 25 mins each way

Crawcrook to Metrocentre is about 25 mins each way

Half tempted to buy my own Bus!

Is this going to be numbered as the 4?

Update 6th November - All documents have been submitted to the Office of the Traffic Commissioner for the service to start immediately - all we are waiting for now is their 'go-ahead' (iif you'll pardon the pun) and the service can start.

I have phoned several times today to chase this, and Nexus to their credit have also contacted them so hopefully we can get over this final hurdle ASAP.
Nexus are also producing some timetables for us, and we will publish these as soon as available. I will do a follow-up post for people to share with the service details.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

NEW BUS SERVICE FOR WASHINGTON AND HEWORTH



City Transport has today submitted an application to the Office of the Traffic Commissioner to operate a service between Washington, Concord and Heworth Metro, numbered c4, starting as soon as approval is given by the OTC.

This service will operate Monday to Friday, hourly from 7am until 6pm (with a gap in the middle of the day to facilitate driver break).

The service will operate a similar route to the other operators' service 4 between Washington and Heworth, with a few exceptions -


• Galleries Bus Station is currently closed, so the service will start and finish at the stops in the Sainsbury's Car Park at The Galleries.

• Will not serve Follingsby Park



All other stops along the route will be served.

Fares for this service will be flat single fares only - £3 adult and £2 child (5-15yrs). Concessionary passes are accepted in line with local rules.

Please before anyone gives any commentary on fares understand that we do not have the economies of scale that large bus operators have when it comes to our operating costs, and we are operating this service fully commercially without any financial support from the local authority.

Please see the timetable below, and should you have any questions comment below and I will respond as soon as I am able.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Stanley Travel posted something about it being 10 week process, wonder if this might change their mind

C4 is quite the explosive route number too.

Sent from my SM-A526B using Tapatalk

Does anyone know what type of bus will be operating it, as it could be a decker

(06 Nov 2023, 10:19 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]Does anyone know what type of bus will be operating it, as it could be a decker

They've got an old 58 plate GNE Merc, don't know about anything else.

(06 Nov 2023, 11:08 pm)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]They've got an old 58 plate GNE Merc, don't know about anything else.

City Transport Group 5811 / YJ51 RCV by kieron mathews, on Flickr

This as well


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh thats who owns that.

I saw it on the felling bypass, and had no idea who owns its

@everyonee ‼️THE SERVICE HAS BEEN REGISTERED AND WILL START TOMORROW (8TH NOVEMBER)‼️
See you all tomorrow!
JUST TO REMIND YOU ALL WE ARE SELLING CASH SINGLE FARES ONLY - £3 ADULT AND £2 CHILD, AND THE BUS DEPARTS FROM THE SAINSBURY'S CAR PARK STOP AT WASHINGTON GALLERIES, AND STOP X AT HEWORTH METRO
Nexus timetable below - they have told us they will be updating bus stop liners tomorrow.
https://www.nexus.org.uk/.../documents/b...081123.pdf

Impressive turn around

If only more indies were around and available

Impressive an independent has fought their way through the bureaucracy to register this. A shame the likes of SNE and ANE haven't done anything. Yes I know there will be driver challenges though with their downsized ops in Sunderland and Shields you'd think they'd have some headroom by now. Also, presume there'd be nothing stopping them looking to agency drivers to operate new routes along core GNE corridors. I get that it would be expensive, but if they took a risk and embedded themselves on e.g. 20, 21 27, 56 routes, potentially there could be a permanent shift of patronage. Hopefully we will see a lot more of this as the GNE fiasco carries on and maybe the "management" will be in for a shock when they find their network and customers gone for good once they grow up or let the adults do the negotiating.

(07 Nov 2023, 8:50 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote [ -> ]Impressive an independent has fought their way through the bureaucracy to register this.  A shame the likes of SNE and ANE haven't done anything.  Yes I know there will be driver challenges though with their downsized ops in Sunderland and Shields you'd think they'd have some headroom by now.  Also, presume there'd be nothing stopping them looking to agency drivers to operate new routes along core GNE corridors.  I get that it would be expensive, but if they took a risk and embedded themselves on e.g. 20, 21 27, 56 routes, potentially there could be a permanent shift of patronage.  Hopefully we will see a lot more of this as the GNE fiasco carries on and maybe the "management" will be in for a shock when they find their network and customers gone for good once they grow up or let the adults do the negotiating.

I'm really surprised at Stagecoach in particular. It'd only take a finite amount of resource to say put the 100 back on between Newcastle and Metrocentre, even on a much-reduced half hour frequency, but they and Arriva just don't seem bothered. Despite train currently being the only sensible option between the two. It's another example of why the deregulated market doesn't work.

If I was Stagecoach Sunderland I would be running service

56 Sunderland - Newcastle (every 30 Mins) PVR 6
42 - Sunderland - Silksworth (every 30 Mins) PVR 3
60 - Sunderland - Parkside (every 30 Mins) PVR 5
20X - Sunderland - Durham (every 30 Mins) PVR 5
Extend the 3 to Low Moorsley too PVR 2 Extra

(07 Nov 2023, 8:50 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote [ -> ]Impressive an independent has fought their way through the bureaucracy to register this.  A shame the likes of SNE and ANE haven't done anything.  Yes I know there will be driver challenges though with their downsized ops in Sunderland and Shields you'd think they'd have some headroom by now.  Also, presume there'd be nothing stopping them looking to agency drivers to operate new routes along core GNE corridors.  I get that it would be expensive, but if they took a risk and embedded themselves on e.g. 20, 21 27, 56 routes, potentially there could be a permanent shift of patronage.  Hopefully we will see a lot more of this as the GNE fiasco carries on and maybe the "management" will be in for a shock when they find their network and customers gone for good once they grow up or let the adults do the negotiating.

City Transport is using one bus to operate a very limited service which will make them a bit of money.  It is unlikely to continue once GNE returns to normal service.  

Surely both ANE and SNE should concentrate on getting their own houses in order before trying to muscle in on routes that will take resources and manpower to do properly.

Surprised theyre not using their decker

(07 Nov 2023, 8:55 pm)Adrian wrote [ -> ]I'm really surprised at Stagecoach in particular. It'd only take a finite amount of resource to say put the 100 back on between Newcastle and Metrocentre, even on a much-reduced half hour frequency, but they and Arriva just don't seem bothered. Despite train currently being the only sensible option between the two. It's another example of why the deregulated market doesn't work.

Risky for Stagecoach to do anything as they need to be careful as there's no doubt going to be big questions why both GoNorthEast and Arriva are both being a paid an extra pound for doing the same job.

They've already had 2 strikes over pay, and I wouldn't be surprised it's the last. Those routes on West Road would be a nice little earner to compensate for the 20 GNE lost, for example.

Personally, I'd play it safe aswell, but then again I'm generally quite risk averse on stuff like that.

Now I am surprised that Arriva and Stagecoach haven't gone on a big viral advertising campaign and aren't poaching extremely unhappy GNE drivers with a decent bonus for signing up etc.