(28 Jun 2021, 6:59 pm)Dan wrote As I mentioned yesterday, the name will be “Sunderland District xxx”, with xxx being a descriptor of the colour of the front of the bus.

So the purpley pink colour for the 2/2A is ‘berries’, then there’ll be another name to describe this charcoal grey colour.

One brand family for the network in Sunderland. Bigger brands for Go North East’s more prestigious routes in Sunderland - Drifter, Prince Bishops, Cityrider etc - will retain their own dedicated names.


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Genuine question Dan (no not a dig), so if this concept is going ahead,what will itvend up being called if the colour has a strange name?

(28 Jun 2021, 6:59 pm)Dan wrote As I mentioned yesterday, the name will be “Sunderland District xxx”, with xxx being a descriptor of the colour of the front of the bus.

Can't wait for inevitable out of hours tweet stating that your...

"...Sunderland District xxx Service xxx between xxx and xxx has been delayed due to an accident at xxx. Please catch your bus from xxx or alternatively use services xxx or xxx to get to your destination"

(28 Jun 2021, 6:59 pm)Dan wrote As I mentioned yesterday, the name will be “Sunderland District xxx”, with xxx being a descriptor of the colour of the front of the bus.

So the purpley pink colour for the 2/2A is ‘berries’, then there’ll be another name to describe this charcoal grey colour.

One brand family for the network in Sunderland. Bigger brands for Go North East’s more prestigious routes in Sunderland - Drifter, Prince Bishops, Cityrider etc - will retain their own dedicated names.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sigh of relief that Prince Bishops is staying

(28 Jun 2021, 5:35 pm)Adrian wrote You were only asked if you could show us a concept, after you said you could do better? Not sure how you feel that is toxic or bullying... 

You made the claim. Nobody put words into your mouth.

I could do better, but I’m not going to put it in here.

This forum is toxic.

(28 Jun 2021, 10:21 am)Adrian wrote I'd say its more a niche market. I don't think they have a similar network of donors! 

It's not one I'm involved in, but a quick Google search as a prospective customer for 'public transport livery design' only presented two suitable results on the first page: Best Impressions and The Brand Surgery (who designed Stagecoach's Zone and Dots branding). If other designers aren't getting into those top handful of results, then potential customers aren't going to find them without word of mouth or directly targeted marketing. 

Best Impressions might not get everything right, but nor does any designer. Liveries, colours used, choice of fruit and so on are always going to be subjective, but whilst people on here are very quick to slate Best Impressions designs, they were just as quick with the company (whose name escapes me - and I cannot find them on Google!) that designed the likes of the Coast & Country, Prince Bishops and Durham Diamonds. Very rare do we see some counter ideas presented, though acknowledging the decent design that omnicity4659 attached to this thread and hopefully the one we're waiting for from beachboy99.

Which company developed Coaster and Drifter? (current incarnations - not the horrid beige originals) ... two of the best brands IMO.

(28 Jun 2021, 8:04 pm)BeachBoy99 wrote I could do better, but I’m not going to put it in here.

This forum is toxic.

Care to explain how its toxic?

I'm getting a strange sense of de-ja-vu here as I'm sure someone else described the forum as 'toxic' earlier before heavily implying that they're leaving.

(28 Jun 2021, 8:32 pm)MurdnunoC wrote I'm getting a strange sense of de-ja-vu here as I'm sure someone else described the forum as 'toxic' earlier before heavily implying that they're leaving.

Stop trying to be a dick, brother...

You don't want this forum to turn into a complete farce like the Daewoo North East Facebook page

(28 Jun 2021, 8:32 pm)MurdnunoC wrote I'm getting a strange sense of de-ja-vu here as I'm sure someone else described the forum as 'toxic' earlier before heavily implying that they're leaving.

I think I've done that a couple times after one too many espresso shots!

I'm here mainly for the drama at this point.

Mod note: Lets stick to the topic please, rather than having this descend into chaos. 

If anyone has a genuine issue with anything on the forum, they can use the report button below each post. Despite the statements made here, there's not been a single post reported or anything brought to the mod team's attention.

(28 Jun 2021, 9:33 pm)Adrian wrote Mod note: Lets stick to the topic please, rather than having this descend into chaos. 

If anyone has a genuine issue with anything on the forum, they can use the report button below each post. Despite the statements made here, there's not been a single post reported or anything brought to the mod team's attention.

Theres been nothing 'toxic' at all,whoever said there has been is talking guff

(27 Jun 2021, 6:37 am)Dan wrote If the Optare Versa buses are internally refurbished and fitted with USB charging points, there isn’t a notable downgrade in specification to customers on these routes.

Surely customers will notice the buses are 6 years older (the versas being 11 plates, the lites being 17s) and have lowback moquetted seating (unlike the highback e-leathers in the lites)?

(30 Jun 2021, 4:33 pm)reymyster9 wrote Surely customers will notice the buses are 6 years older (the versas being 11 plates, the lites being 17s) and have lowback moquetted seating (unlike the highback e-leathers in the lites)?

Do the versas have NSA's and Wi-Fi, if not will both be fitted.

They already had WiFi and NSA on when they were QuayLink

(30 Jun 2021, 8:00 pm)Micheal Aaron wrote They already had WiFi and NSA on when they were QuayLink

Do we know the fleet numbers that will be allocated. 
For a bit of nostalgia i hope 8326-8328 are, because they were simplicity branded at one point and the same vehicles would be going back on.

(30 Jun 2021, 4:33 pm)reymyster9 wrote Surely customers will notice the buses are 6 years older (the versas being 11 plates, the lites being 17s) and have lowback moquetted seating (unlike the highback e-leathers in the lites)?

They are being done with new red moquette

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(30 Jun 2021, 9:00 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote Do we know the fleet numbers that will be allocated. 
For a bit of nostalgia i hope 8326-8328 are, because they were simplicity branded at one point and the same vehicles would be going back on.

Theres 10x 2011 versas which are euro 5 which ascend in order

I thought the 11 reg versas were bought new for the Orbit (51/52)

(30 Jun 2021, 10:56 pm)V514DFT wrote I thought the 11 reg versas were bought new for the Orbit (51/52)

Some were bought for the 36 in Sunderland, from the city to Town End Farm.

(30 Jun 2021, 10:56 pm)V514DFT wrote I thought the 11 reg versas were bought new for the Orbit (51/52)

8319-24 (the examples presently based at Chester-le-Street) were new to Deptford for the 36 (Sunderland- - Town End Farm)
8325-9 were new to Deptford for the 42 (Sunderland - Silksworth) - part of what is now the 2/2A
8330-8 were new to Gateshead for 'The Orbit' 51/52

(27 Jun 2021, 7:21 am)omnicity4659 wrote So the company is being ripped off for designs already paid for by another company, in this case Reading Buses. I'd be laughing my way to the cashpoint.



Design also relies on constructive feedback and opinion. But thanks for your comment.



Fair enough to create a Reading-esque network in Sunderland...but "Sunderland District"? It's not exactly the catchiest name. And does GNE really want to put two company names on the sides of their buses...again? Fairly sure it caused brand confusion the last time. (See Northern.)

The colour coding concept is a good one, it's just that the way it's being executed is quite poor and it looks unprofessional.

In particular, the word District brings back at best memories of NBC subsidiaries and at worst On the Buses!  No wonder Transdev eventually abolished such trading names.

(03 Jul 2021, 3:50 pm)Metroline1511 wrote In particular, the word District brings back at best memories of NBC subsidiaries and at worst On the Buses!  No wonder Transdev eventually abolished such trading names.

Personally I think bus transportation needs to promoted as a convenient easy to use, clean green modern dynamic mode of travel, along with the 21st century features you’d find on modern buses; NSAs, contactless, WiFi & charging etc.  

When I hear ‘District’ in a bus company name/brand I imagine a small old fashioned operator out in sticks with featureless second hand vehicles.
Other than appealing to the elderly, most of whom probably travel for free, or to appeal a small group of enthusiasts who may remember bus company names from a bygone era, I don’t know why you’d want to bring back old words/names like District, OK Travel, Northern etc.

Surely as a big operator covering the cities of Newcastle(Gateshead), Sunderland & Durham and everywhere in between you’d want to appear modern and dynamic to temp people out of their cars and onto a bus.

Okay, so after mulling it over for a while, here's my take. 
I purposely haven't been reading much of this thread so I may be repeating what others have said, or my questions may have already been answered.

First of all, I don't mind Berries. I mean, I don't like it, but I don't mind it.

The bit that I don't like is 'Sunderland District'.

I get that they're going for 'Local Area' + 'Route Brand'. Ie. 'East Gateshead Loop' and 'East Gateshead Rider'. 

But where did District come from? Where's the consistency?

Why are they not 'East Gateshead District Loop'?

Why didn't they just go for 'Sunderland Berries'? That would have been a lot better IMO

Overall, I like the concept of what they're going for, I'm just not sure about the execution

(04 Jul 2021, 7:17 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Okay, so after mulling it over for a while, here's my take. 
I purposely haven't been reading much of this thread so I may be repeating what others have said, or my questions may have already been answered.

First of all, I don't mind Berries. I mean, I don't like it, but I don't mind it.

The bit that I don't like is 'Sunderland District'.

I get that they're going for 'Local Area' + 'Route Brand'. Ie. 'East Gateshead Loop' and 'East Gateshead Rider'. 

But where did District come from? Where's the consistency?

Why are they not 'East Gateshead District Loop'?

Why didn't they just go for 'Sunderland Berries'? That would have been a lot better IMO

Overall, I like the concept of what they're going for, I'm just not sure about the execution

It's because the Northern subsidiary in Sunderland was called Sunderland District Omnibus.