(02 Jul 2023, 8:51 am)Rob44 wrote wasn't sure where to put this but here seems the most reasonable.

The fun police was getting a GNE bus back home from work and a bloke go on with £10 note,  She said the driver said to him just get on?  I thought this was a bit strange, surley a driver would have 8 quid in change?  Then last night on the 28b a bloke was going to let me on before him but he had been there longer than me and he got on with a tenner and the same thing happened? Then muggings ( me ) get on with 2 x £1 coins and i have to pay. to top it off he was still on the bus when i got off!! no wonder GNE are skink and i am skint to!!

I always thought the rule was they’d take the note and owe you the change. The hope being that the driver will have change by the time you get off or if not you’d have to apply/ring customer service to get the refund.

(02 Jul 2023, 12:18 pm)Drifter60 wrote I always thought the rule was they’d take the note and owe you the change. The hope being that the driver will have change by the time you get off or if not you’d have to apply/ring customer service to get the refund.

Yer that happened before with me and with people who've gotten the bus while I've been on, they give the driver the note and get change when they get off.

Accounts for the 18-month period leading up to December 2023 have been published - https://find-and-update.company-informat...ng-history

£3,854,000 in profits if I have read correctly.

Basically being propped up by BSOG and the fare cap awhen you read into it.

Lost mileage up too

(25 Nov 2024, 12:55 pm)Ambassador wrote Basically being propped up by BSOG and the fare cap awhen you read into it.

Lost mileage up too

£38m from the tax payer. Crazy amount of money if you ask me. 

We're not exactly getting anything to show from it either.

(25 Nov 2024, 12:55 pm)Ambassador wrote Basically being propped up by BSOG and the fare cap awhen you read into it.

Lost mileage up too

Taxpayer handouts?

The long gone eezypeazy would have you over the coals for daring to state that.

(25 Nov 2024, 2:15 pm)Storx wrote £38m from the tax payer. Crazy amount of money if you ask me. 

We're not exactly getting anything to show from it either.

The bus industry turning into more of a cash cow than rail franchising was!

(25 Nov 2024, 12:55 pm)Ambassador wrote Basically being propped up by BSOG and the fare cap awhen you read into it.

Lost mileage up too

All operators across the country being propped up by BSOG and the fare cap.

(25 Nov 2024, 7:19 pm)busmanT wrote All operators across the country being propped up by BSOG and the fare cap.

But particularly the case for a regional backwater operator like GNE who make Arriva look like gold standard 

I genuinely cannot think of a time where there’s been a more incompetent and inept management and engineering regime than now

(25 Nov 2024, 7:19 pm)busmanT wrote All operators across the country being propped up by BSOG and the fare cap.

Ah yes, here’s the usual post putting down every other operator in the country in response to some slight concern over the GNE financials. 

Obviously you can’t be including all operators in the country in your statement, given some chose not to participate in the £2 fare cap. Equally, a number of those which did choose to participate were profitable before its introduction so I think your statement is a tad inaccurate.

I've noticed that it's reported a headcount loss of 29 in maintenance/engineering staff... it doesn't half show!

(26 Nov 2024, 3:43 pm)Adrian wrote I've noticed that it's reported a headcount loss of 29 in maintenance/engineering staff... it doesn't half show!

Chester Le Street / Hexham closures mostly though, I'd guess, with a fair chunk of them going elsewhere as who's going to drive from Durham way to Riverside or elsewhere when you go can elsewhere and probably be treat better aswell with a nice pay off thrown in aswell. 

Believe it was in that period?

(25 Nov 2024, 7:19 pm)busmanT wrote All operators across the country being propped up by BSOG and the fare cap.

And here we have GNE who are just about scraping a profit and who are unable or unwilling to use the ticket machines in a way which would gather accurate data and reinvigorate the network as a result. 

Imagine what sort of profit they could turn if a proper route and passenger analysis was actually carried out?

Incompetence.

(26 Nov 2024, 4:33 pm)Andreos1 wrote And here we have GNE who are just about scraping a profit and who are unable or unwilling to use the ticket machines in a way which would gather accurate data and reinvigorate the network as a result. 

Imagine what sort of profit they could turn if a proper route and passenger analysis was actually carried out?

Incompetence.

It's funny seen this mentioned the past few days. Some drivers at Ashington are really anal about it in recent times to the stage you need to know the exact fare zone. 

Obviously alright for us on here but the vast majority of people don't have a clue on what the zones are since they're named usually after pubs and things which got demo'd 20 year ago. .

Like polar extremes.

Page 30 details director remuneration. Between July 2022 and December 2023, collective director salaries increased from £541,000 to £847,000. This figure excludes Martin Dean, whose compensation is considered at Group level. The highest paid director is down as receiving £194,000, with an additional £20,000 in employer pension contributions. 

So within 18 months, we've got an increase of over £300,000 paid out at director level, amidst the pretence of doing the Oliver Twist routine with Martin Gammon, and all while they're misappropriating BSIP funding and receiving obscene credits from the taxpayer (admittedly more the inherent fault of the local authority).

(26 Nov 2024, 3:52 pm)Storx wrote Chester Le Street / Hexham closures mostly though, I'd guess, with a fair chunk of them going elsewhere as who's going to drive from Durham way to Riverside or elsewhere when you go can elsewhere and probably be treat better aswell with a nice pay off thrown in aswell. 

Believe it was in that period?

Regardless of a physical building closing down, they've still largely the same number of buses on the road that need maintaining. 

(26 Nov 2024, 7:56 pm)R852 PRG wrote Page 30 details director remuneration. Between July 2022 and December 2023, collective director salaries increased from £541,000 to £847,000. This figure excludes Martin Dean, whose compensation is considered at Group level. The highest paid director is down as receiving £194,000, with an additional £20,000 in employer pension contributions. 

So within 18 months, we've got an increase of over £300,000 paid out at director level, amidst the pretence of doing the Oliver Twist routine with Martin Gammon, and all while they're misappropriating BSIP funding and receiving obscene credits from the taxpayer (admittedly more the inherent fault of the local authority).

Not to mention the share options being taken, which I've not seen used by GNE for a number of years.

This is exactly why the public don't like private sector delivery of public services. They reap millions in funding from the public purse, but then just can't help themselves but to cream some off of the top.

(26 Nov 2024, 4:33 pm)Andreos1 wrote And here we have GNE who are just about scraping a profit and who are unable or unwilling to use the ticket machines in a way which would gather accurate data and reinvigorate the network as a result. 

Imagine what sort of profit they could turn if a proper route and passenger analysis was actually carried out?

Incompetence.

What's the point though? It's going to get took off them in a few years anyway.

(27 Nov 2024, 10:32 am)F114TML wrote What's the point though? It's going to get took off them in a few years anyway.

Because they could make a huge return in the meantime. 

Imagine the reward if they actually fixed the network and made some amazing profits in the interim, rather than just give up and continue as is?

(27 Nov 2024, 9:57 am)Adrian wrote Regardless of a physical building closing down, they've still largely the same number of buses on the road that need maintaining.

Yeah no arguments, mind it'll be interesting to compare how much the fleet has decreased in recent years. The network has been butchered to bits in recent times.

(27 Nov 2024, 1:19 pm)Storx wrote Yeah no arguments, mind it'll be interesting to compare how much the fleet has decreased in recent years. The network has been butchered to bits in recent times.

The fleet is much smaller than in years gone by. 
Even when you include the 2x 21 branded deckers parked up for months at Riverside. 

Noticed an Olympus had been parked next to them recently.

(26 Nov 2024, 7:56 pm)R852 PRG wrote Page 30 details director remuneration. Between July 2022 and December 2023, collective director salaries increased from £541,000 to £847,000. This figure excludes Martin Dean, whose compensation is considered at Group level. The highest paid director is down as receiving £194,000, with an additional £20,000 in employer pension contributions. 

So within 18 months, we've got an increase of over £300,000 paid out at director level, amidst the pretence of doing the Oliver Twist routine with Martin Gammon, and all while they're misappropriating BSIP funding and receiving obscene credits from the taxpayer (admittedly more the inherent fault of the local authority).

trying their best