(05 Jul 2022, 8:31 pm)Unber43 wrote No its not, but for customer confidence 

"sit back and charge up" I saw on a Country Ranger in Stanley the other day, it would be great if it worked its blainted false advertsing, if it isn't working/known problem don't advertise it

You know they rarely work on the Country Ranger, so stop being stubborn and fork out for a power bank.

There's more services than not that they work absolutely fine on, which you neglect to mention.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

(05 Jul 2022, 8:33 pm)Adrian wrote You know they rarely work on the Country Ranger, so stop being stubborn and fork out for a power bank.

There's more services than not that they work absolutely fine on, which you neglect to mention.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

I do have a power bank! But not everyone who gets the Country Ranger knows about the issues I have heard many people complaining, not everyone gets the bus often, they may be looking to switch to the bus, and thinking "oh great I can get it to work, charge my phone it has wifi" great..then you actually get on it and it doesn't work, I mean if you get the 8 you probs have got a Versa on more than several occasions

I always try to bring a fully charged power pack with me whenever I go out. My phone is always plugged into one anyway. Power packs aren't even expensive anyway - you can get one at Toolstation for only £7. https://www.toolstation.com/gp-powerbank...4?store=I6

(05 Jul 2022, 8:35 pm)Unber43 wrote I do have a power bank! But not everyone who gets the Country Ranger knows about the issues I have heard many people complaining, not everyone gets the bus often, they may be looking to switch to the bus, and thinking "oh great I can get it to work, charge my phone it has wifi" great..then you actually get on it and it doesn't work, I mean if you get the 8 you probs have got a Versa on more than several occasions

OK, so if you have a powerbank, then what is your issue with confidence? Or are you just in the business of theoretical issues to add emphasis to your agenda?

It isn't good that USB ports are advertised and rarely work on that service, I agree, but let's not make out that its the straw that broke the camel's back.


Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

(05 Jul 2022, 8:35 pm)Unber43 wrote I do have a power bank! But not everyone who gets the Country Ranger knows about the issues I have heard many people complaining, not everyone gets the bus often, they may be looking to switch to the bus, and thinking "oh great I can get it to work, charge my phone it has wifi" great..then you actually get on it and it doesn't work, I mean if you get the 8 you probs have got a Versa on more than several occasions

While I understand the frustration of things like that not working, it's important to understand that things like USB charging points are likely not included on a vehicles first use inspection and so to get fixed they're likely waiting on a passenger complaint. 

At that stage, are engineering going to VOR a vehicle on a morning where they might be tight already to fix some USB ports? I'd say it's unlikely at best.

Tbf, they must lose an absolute fortune in fare evasion. The amount of people buying local tickets then crossing the Tyne…

I’ve never ever seen an inspector since the days of OK Travel on core routes like the 723, 221, 21, 724 etc etc. Drivers don’t challenge anyone (why would they?)

(05 Jul 2022, 8:54 pm)Ambassador wrote Tbf, they must lose an absolute fortune in fare evasion. The amount of people buying local tickets then crossing the Tyne…

I’ve never ever seen an inspector since the days of OK Travel on core routes like the 723, 221, 21, 724 etc etc. Drivers don’t challenge anyone (why would they?)

I've only ever seen one ticket inspector on a bus... and they appeared to be employed by Nexus.

---

(05 Jul 2022, 8:33 pm)Adrian wrote You know they rarely work on the Country Ranger, so stop being stubborn and fork out for a power bank.

There's more services than not that they work absolutely fine on, which you neglect to mention.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Why should I have to invest in a power bank because GNE can't provide USB chargers when advertised?

(05 Jul 2022, 9:01 pm)F114TML wrote Why should I have to invest in a power bank because GNE can't provide USB chargers when advertised?

I'm not sure why people seem to think it's GNE's responsibility to ensure they're able to charge their phone?

They're complimentary features, and as with anything similar to that, its widely accepted that they're provided subject to availability. There's no guarantee associated with any on board features.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

I’m with Adrian on this one. Are people really saying they don’t trust their phones to stay charged for the duration of a day out? What happens if you need to take a work call? Or there’s a family emergency? Or heck just messaging a mate etc.? I’m baffled it’s 2022 not 1998. If you’re that worried about battery life, invest in a power bank? I take mine with me on nights out as a just in case, if I’ve been out the house since the morning. I’ve never need to rely on it really, but I just use it to keep me ‘topped up’.

Also for those saying the bus chargers aren’t working - how does that stop you getting ‘on’ the bus? You don’t get on the bus charge your phone for a bit then scan your ticket? Don’t get me wrong, GNE to sort out these broken sockets as I these are sold as pretty standard features and if they’re not working, customers are losing out.

(05 Jul 2022, 6:34 pm)streetdeckfan wrote It seems to me that's exactly who it's aimed at, the people who left to drive HGVs, as unless I've misread previous posts, it's only for people who already have the license to drive a bus.

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

I was thinking more along the lines drivers leaving now to then come back purely for the bonus. There’s a reason they’ll have jumped across to HGV in the first place, £750 won’t change them.

(05 Jul 2022, 8:17 pm)citaro5284 wrote Your obession with the Coast Rd is not healthy mind haha

But it's a serious question.

(05 Jul 2022, 9:18 pm)Adrian wrote I'm not sure why people seem to think it's GNE's responsibility to ensure they're able to charge their phone?

They're complimentary features, and as with anything similar to that, its widely accepted that they're provided subject to  availability. There's no guarantee associated with any on board features.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Because they advertise the fact that you can! I've just picked up a timetable, it advertises the buses having USB power, nowhere does it say "subject to availability/it working" - why does this need to be implied and assumed?

If you went into a restaurant that promised a free bottle of wine with every meal, and you went in and they said "we dont have any" - you'd probably be disappointed, particularly if you went in specifically for the bottle of wine; why should it be assumed it's subject to availability when they don't say so?

(05 Jul 2022, 8:27 pm)Unber43 wrote But trusting GNE, for buses which they advertise to get a charge, and they don't work that is to with GNE it is blainted False Advertising!

Surely anyone worried about their phone battery would carry a power pack. They even sell decent ones in Tesco and argos, these days.

---

(05 Jul 2022, 8:54 pm)Ambassador wrote Tbf, they must lose an absolute fortune in fare evasion. The amount of people buying local tickets then crossing the Tyne…

I’ve never ever seen an inspector since the days of OK Travel on core routes like the 723, 221, 21, 724 etc etc. Drivers don’t challenge anyone (why would they?)

We had them occasionally about 5 or 6 years ago - I remember in particular one on a rather packed 20. (might have been on our way to the see it do it citaro launch)

(05 Jul 2022, 10:51 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Surely anyone worried about their phone battery would carry a power pack. They even sell decent ones in Tesco and argos, these days.

---

We had them occasionally about 5 or 6 years ago - I remember in particular one on a rather packed 20. (might have been on our way to the see it do it citaro launch)

It's not just running out of battery that puts me off using the app, it's also the inconvenience of having to load up the app (it's easier just pulling the ticket out of my pocket), wondering whether I'll have signal (I know it's supposed to cache the ticket, but I've had it a few times where it hasn't loaded in because I've automatically connected to the bus WiFi but haven't 'signed in' to it so there's no internet connection), and also just general reliability of the app. I've lost count of the amount of times the app has just crashed for no reason, or it hasn't loaded in the ticket even with 5G.

As for ticket inspectors, last time I saw one was on the Angel pre-StreetDecks, I think I was at College so it must have been ~2016. Before that I would see them regularly on the 10 when I would go to the Metrocentre after school.

(05 Jul 2022, 9:30 pm)Chris 1 wrote I was thinking more along the lines drivers leaving now to then come back purely for the bonus. There’s a reason they’ll have jumped across to HGV in the first place, £750 won’t change them.

I cannot imagine that it would be possible to leave on the Friday and rejoin the following Monday and get the bonus! 

Why would a driver leave anyway and lose any seniority they may have just to get £750, which is paid in two instalments 5 months apart?

---

(05 Jul 2022, 8:09 pm)busmanT wrote Perhaps that's why services are having to be cut - fares are too cheap! 

The two £2.30 examples are simply far too cheap for the distance covered - has the number of passengers travelling Murton to Durham and Consett to Durham more than doubled? I bet they haven't.
Has the number of passengers travelling Birtley to Gateshead increased by 30%? Again, I doubt it - if they have the 21 would be running more frequently than every 10 minutes.

Did GNE’s gamble to slash fares in the  hope of increasing footfall and income fail and now they, and their passengers, are now paying for it with losses (for the company) and service reductions (for passengers)?

(05 Jul 2022, 11:44 pm)streetdeckfan wrote It's not just running out of battery that puts me off using the app, it's also the inconvenience of having to load up the app (it's easier just pulling the ticket out of my pocket), wondering whether I'll have signal (I know it's supposed to cache the ticket, but I've had it a few times where it hasn't loaded in because I've automatically connected to the bus WiFi but haven't 'signed in' to it so there's no internet connection), and also just general reliability of the app. I've lost count of the amount of times the app has just crashed for no reason, or it hasn't loaded in the ticket even with 5G.

As for ticket inspectors, last time I saw one was on the Angel pre-StreetDecks, I think I was at College so it must have been ~2016. Before that I would see them regularly on the 10 when I would go to the Metrocentre after school.

We have the same approx time soan for remembering inspectors, then.

And I've had the same issues with mobile tickets. I had them when I was travelling thornley to spenny and back, twice a day, for a few months, and had a couple of failures. I ended up having to buy a ticket for one of those because it was the morning and I would be travelling again (did get a refund) but the driver took pity, the other time and let me on. Both times, I had to reinstall the app to recover the ticket.

Not to go too off topic but I'd quite like the ability to add a ticket to my Apple Wallet.

It's not a great user experience at the moment to show your ticket but it's a truly 1st world issue!

(06 Jul 2022, 9:40 am)Ambassador wrote Not to go too off topic but I'd quite like the ability to add a ticket to my Apple Wallet.

It's not a great user experience at the moment to show your ticket but it's a truly 1st world issue!

I don’t know why more operators don’t do this! One in particular I think of is metro adding the PAYG to Google Pay but not Apple? It would make flow through stations much speedier as people aren’t fumbling for cards.

(05 Jul 2022, 6:39 pm)citaro5284 wrote Dont be daft.....why would a driver at Riverside or Percy Main get extra money just because their rotas are changing - rota changes happen multiple times of the year!

Surely if drivers at Chester-Le-Street are going to be getting such benefits as Dan has stated elsewhere on the forum due to the CLS closing then it would only be fair in the interests of equality that other staff members are given the same benefits regardless of which depot they work at, at the end of the day they will be working some of the current CLS routes other routes depending on how these are shifted around. Drivers at Washington Depot are already in the process of doing training for the 71 moving over in the coming months, it's just drivers either that are impacted by this change you also have engineering staff and depot management teams etc that are also impacted.

(06 Jul 2022, 1:37 pm)Malarkey wrote Surely if drivers at Chester-Le-Street are going to be getting such benefits as Dan has stated elsewhere on the forum due to the CLS closing then it would only be fair in the interests of equality that other staff members are given the same benefits regardless of which depot they work at, at the end of the day they will be working some of the current CLS routes other routes depending on how these are shifted around. Drivers at Washington Depot are already in the process of doing training for the 71 moving over in the coming months, it's just drivers either that are impacted by this change you also have engineering staff and depot management teams etc that are also impacted.

If you gave everyone the benefits, then it's not really part of the package for the depot closing.

I don't think anyone would be annoyed that someone got some money as part of their team being split up, some no doubt working together for decades unless you really are a selfish t##t

(06 Jul 2022, 1:37 pm)Malarkey wrote Surely if drivers at Chester-Le-Street are going to be getting such benefits as Dan has stated elsewhere on the forum due to the CLS closing then it would only be fair in the interests of equality that other staff members are given the same benefits regardless of which depot they work at, at the end of the day they will be working some of the current CLS routes other routes depending on how these are shifted around. Drivers at Washington Depot are already in the process of doing training for the 71 moving over in the coming months, it's just drivers either that are impacted by this change you also have engineering staff and depot management teams etc that are also impacted.

I read in the Go Ahead annual report that their new CEO is getting £8,333 a month in relocation expenses for 24 months, on top of his £550,000



Maybe that should be replicated to every employee? Sounds like the Union have pitched in far too low for a one off payment! Will need to knock a single from Heworth to the Galleries up to £80 to pay for it all mind.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

(06 Jul 2022, 3:19 pm)Adrian wrote I read in the Go Ahead annual report that their new CEO is getting £8,333 a month in relocation expenses for 24 months, on top of his £550,000



Maybe that should be replicated to every employee? Sounds like the Union have pitched in far too low for a one off payment! Will need to knock a single from Heworth to the Galleries up to £80 to pay for it all mind.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Obviously driving and engineering staff wouldn't be getting that high of a bonus and to be honest the fact that the CEO is getting £8,333 on top of a there annual £550,000 salary is an absolute joke.

I'm not going to change my opinion on staff being treated equally at all and as example last year all staff members who worked for BT/EE were all given £1,500 bonus in June last year, £1,000 on top of that month salary as a one-off payment and the other £500 was made up of shares. All I'm saying is that why should one lot of staff at one depot be given all these perks due to their depot closing whilst staff elsewhere across the company who will also be impacted by the changes not receive those same benefits.

Furthermore what about the companies recent new recruits in Bus Drivers that have just started prior to the companies latest job advert offering £750 starting bonus on completion of training, are those staff going to get that bonus backdated because since they started the terms and conditions of employment has changed for new starters. 

I'd say that any new starters within the last 3-6 months should all be entitled to this, more so if they are currently in training now would you not agree?

(06 Jul 2022, 3:46 pm)Malarkey wrote I'm not going to change my opinion on staff being treated equally at all and as example last year all staff members who worked for BT/EE were all given £1,500 bonus in June last year, £1,000 on top of that month salary as a one-off payment and the other £500 was made up of shares. All I'm saying is that why should one lot of staff at one depot be given all these perks due to their depot closing whilst staff elsewhere across the company who will also be impacted by the changes not receive those same benefits.

And didn't EE just hike their prices by 9.3% from 1st April?

GNE are being asked where the money is coming from to fund things like relocation bonuses, at a time fares are being hiked and routes cut, but does the same not apply to every other business?

Back to the point though, and you're conflating a payment for disruption (and really to change their contract, as base location is generally stated) with a performance related bonus. The two are completely separate and are paid for much different reasons.

(06 Jul 2022, 3:46 pm)Malarkey wrote Furthermore what about the companies recent new recruits in Bus Drivers that have just started prior to the companies latest job advert offering £750 starting bonus on completion of training, are those staff going to get that bonus backdated because since they started the terms and conditions of employment has changed for new starters. 

I'd say that any new starters within the last 3-6 months should all be entitled to this, more so if they are currently in training now would you not agree?

I don't agree, no, because you take a job based on the offer on the table at the time. If you decided to retrospectively apply it to those in the last 3-6 months, then those who joined 4-7 months ago would be asking the same questions.



Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

(06 Jul 2022, 3:46 pm)Malarkey wrote Obviously driving and engineering staff wouldn't be getting that high of a bonus and to be honest the fact that the CEO is getting £8,333 on top of a there annual £550,000 salary is an absolute joke.

I'm not going to change my opinion on staff being treated equally at all and as example last year all staff members who worked for BT/EE were all given £1,500 bonus in June last year, £1,000 on top of that month salary as a one-off payment and the other £500 was made up of shares. All I'm saying is that why should one lot of staff at one depot be given all these perks due to their depot closing whilst staff elsewhere across the company who will also be impacted by the changes not receive those same benefits.

Furthermore what about the companies recent new recruits in Bus Drivers that have just started prior to the companies latest job advert offering £750 starting bonus on completion of training, are those staff going to get that bonus backdated because since they started the terms and conditions of employment has changed for new starters. 

I'd say that any new starters within the last 3-6 months should all be entitled to this, more so if they are currently in training now would you not agree?

This has to be one of the most ridiculous arguments made on the forum - and that is a pretty high bar!  Treating people equally to the point of utter absurdity here.  The staff at a depot that is not closing are not being impacted in anything like the way that staff at a closing depot are.  CLS staff are being forcibly required to change their base.  That would have impacts on every member of staff both finanically and in terms of work-life balance (travel time to/from work and kock on effects).  Now in some cases that impact could be negligible, in some cases positive but in a great many cases significantly negative.  The fact GNE are compensating all displaced staff for this regardless is one of the few decent things the company has done in the recent past.  To compare that to the fact someone at Washington depot might now have to drive a bus with a 71 on the front instead of 50 is just nonsense.  Those staff already employee at other depots chose* to work there and were not forced to do so by the company.  They will still collect/return their bus from the depot they are already based at, or changeovers etc will be factored into their rotas so zero impact on them financially or personal time-wise.

Backdating bonuses for a business struggling financially also slightly bonkers.  Those staff who signed up 6 months ago did so on the basis of the offer at that time.

The only point I agree with you on is that the payments to CLS staff should cover all staff at CLS whether driver, cleaner or engineering.

*yes before someone argues the point, there may be some who work at a given depot as a result of previous consolidations, however would have been subject to whatever the settlements were then

(06 Jul 2022, 4:03 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote This has to be one of the most ridiculous arguments made on the forum - and that is a pretty high bar!  Treating people equally to the point of utter absurdity here.  The staff at a depot that is not closing are not being impacted in anything like the way that staff at a closing depot are.  CLS staff are being forcibly required to change their base.  That would have impacts on every member of staff both finanically and in terms of work-life balance (travel time to/from work and kock on effects).  Now in some cases that impact could be negligible, in some cases positive but in a great many cases significantly negative.  The fact GNE are compensating all displaced staff for this regardless is one of the few decent things the company has done in the recent past.  To compare that to the fact someone at Washington depot might now have to drive a bus with a 71 on the front instead of 50 is just nonsense.  Those staff already employee at other depots chose* to work there and were not forced to do so by the company.  They will still collect/return their bus from the depot they are already based at, or changeovers etc will be factored into their rotas so zero impact on them financially or personal time-wise.

Backdating bonuses for a business struggling financially also slightly bonkers.  Those staff who signed up 6 months ago did so on the basis of the offer at that time.

The only point I agree with you on is that the payments to CLS staff should cover all staff at CLS whether driver, cleaner or engineering.

*yes before someone argues the point, there may be some who work at a given depot as a result of previous consolidations, however would have been subject to whatever the settlements were then

And it does cover all staff.

(06 Jul 2022, 3:46 pm)Malarkey wrote Obviously driving and engineering staff wouldn't be getting that high of a bonus and to be honest the fact that the CEO is getting £8,333 on top of a there annual £550,000 salary is an absolute joke.

I'm not going to change my opinion on staff being treated equally at all and as example last year all staff members who worked for BT/EE were all given £1,500 bonus in June last year, £1,000 on top of that month salary as a one-off payment and the other £500 was made up of shares. All I'm saying is that why should one lot of staff at one depot be given all these perks due to their depot closing whilst staff elsewhere across the company who will also be impacted by the changes not receive those same benefits.

Furthermore what about the companies recent new recruits in Bus Drivers that have just started prior to the companies latest job advert offering £750 starting bonus on completion of training, are those staff going to get that bonus backdated because since they started the terms and conditions of employment has changed for new starters. 

I'd say that any new starters within the last 3-6 months should all be entitled to this, more so if they are currently in training now would you not agree?

All staff treated equally? Does that include those with the power to duplicate and make copies of themselves as their own twin?

I've recently left bus driving after 22 years of it and believe you me it would take a lot more than £750 to tempt me back. Over the years the gap between the minimum wage and new starter rates for drivers has come down to the point where only the desperate would consider it as a viable career.

How many jobs do you know of other than bus driving whereby you can make an honest mistake and end up going to prison for it, whilst offering a starting rate of pay of £10 an hour?

(06 Jul 2022, 6:38 pm)Driver9*** wrote I've recently left bus driving after 22 years of it and believe you me it would take a lot more than £750 to tempt me back. Over the years the gap between the minimum wage and new starter rates for drivers has come down to the point where only the desperate would consider it as a viable career.

How many jobs do you know of other than bus driving whereby you can make an honest mistake and end up going to prison for it, whilst offering a starting rate of pay of £10 an hour?

This is the problem with the minimum wage rising... a Costa coffee barista job is advertised at 10.50 per horse and a band 5 staff nurse starts at about 13 quid an hour.... which job would u go for?

(06 Jul 2022, 7:03 pm)Rob44 wrote This is the problem with the minimum wage rising... a Costa coffee barista job is advertised at 10.50 per horse and a band 5 staff nurse starts at about 13 quid an hour.... which job would u go for?

I've never seen horses working at Costa before.

(06 Jul 2022, 7:03 pm)Rob44 wrote This is the problem with the minimum wage rising... a Costa coffee barista job is advertised at 10.50 per horse and a band 5 staff nurse starts at about 13 quid an hour.... which job would u go for?

And I'd imagine the shift pattern for the Cotsa worker would be much more stable as well (compared to a nurse or bus driver).