(07 Jan 2022, 11:31 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote I have suffered countless bad experiences with Stagecoach in Newcastle, but not in South Shields or Sunderland. Using Go North East works out cheaper for the places I go to (including Wallsend and elsewhere where Stagecoach also operates). For volunteering pre-Covid I sometimes needed GNE tickets and other times preferred the reliability. Multi operator tickets are just a waste of money for myself and others willing to walk. Personally I think paying for two operators is a waste of money just into town. GNE also gave me some free travel in 2020 which supported my volunteering efforts. Stagecoach once gave me a free day ticket.
Stagecoach caused me a number of serious issues. GNE has rarely let me down. Very happy with GNE. For employment in particular I need reliable transport, and even for volunteering its good to be on time.
But it's all swings and roundabouts. I live in an area dominated by GNE and have lost count of the number of times when their buses have been late or have failed to show up for one reason or another. Luckily for me, I don't use public transport to travel to work so the only harm done to me on a personal level amounts to a minor inconvenience, however there will be those who will be affected by the same repeated issues and problems. Conversely, I have never had a problem using GCT (who operate services in the area) or the Metro (who don't), yet there are countless stories, here and elsewhere, where both have fallen somewhat short of customer expectation.
I doubt there are that many people willing to walk miles just to save a few pounds a week on a multi-modal ticket, in fact, I would suggest that you are probably one of a handful. So while a multi-modal ticket may not make financial sense to you, it makes perfect financial sense for those who wish to minimise their travel time by using more than one operator. Could they be cheaper? Certainly. And perhaps we'll see some savings included in the BSIP. However, realistically, GNE are never going to introduce regular services into the West End of Newcastle so irrespective of what BSIP has to offer, multi-modal tickets are always going to offer an efficient way of travelling without committing to an hour of walking before enduring the travel of public transport.
Since we're on about saving money, have you ever considered buying a bike? In urban areas bikes are quicker than buses for competent riders. As some on here are aware, I have the data to back that up.