(06 Jul 2022, 6:38 pm)Driver9*** wrote 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?

But driving is a serious issue, I feel bad for drivers when they do make a mistake. 

awful situation

(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?

What kind of 'honest mistake' do you think would lead to prison, out of interest? First time I've heard that one, that's all.

(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?

It's not a problem with minimum wage rising. It's a decades old problem of businesses being allowed to drive down wages.

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Really don't get the issues with the chargers not working being a massive song and dance. The buses which are advertised as having them, have them. If they work, great! The problem is, you have people who go out of their way to vandalise things. There may well be a fault on the bus which stops the chargers from working, but what would you rather happened? The bus is pulled off the road because Karen or Ken can't charge their phones while the majority of people using the service just want to make it to/from work? Or you take your concern for your phone battery into consideration before leaving the house by ensuring your phone is fully charged and bring a power bank if your phone battery is weak.

On the vandalism topic, I was on an X-Lines StreetDeck mere days after their introduction on the service and noticed that several chargers (ports and wireless) had already been damaged. We sometimes can't have nice things because people can be *insert expletive here*.

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(07 Jul 2022, 1:03 am)6049 wrote Really don't get the issues with the chargers not working being a massive song and dance. The buses which are advertised as having them, have them. If they work, great! The problem is, you have people who go out of their way to vandalise things. There may well be a fault on the bus which stops the chargers from working, but what would you rather happened? The bus is pulled off the road because Karen or Ken can't charge their phones while the majority of people using the service just want to make it to/from work? Or you take your concern for your phone battery into consideration before leaving the house by ensuring your phone is fully charged and bring a power bank if your phone battery is weak.

On the vandalism topic, I was on an X-Lines StreetDeck mere days after their introduction on the service and noticed that several chargers (ports and wireless) had already been damaged. We sometimes can't have nice things because people can be *insert expletive here*.

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I have been on many X1's where, where you place your phone to get it wirelessly charged in the back of the seats have been snapped off, tho I have never seen it on the X45/78/X46/16 whenever thats been a streetdeck.

(07 Jul 2022, 1:03 am)6049 wrote Really don't get the issues with the chargers not working being a massive song and dance. The buses which are advertised as having them, have them. If they work, great! The problem is, you have people who go out of their way to vandalise things. There may well be a fault on the bus which stops the chargers from working, but what would you rather happened? The bus is pulled off the road because Karen or Ken can't charge their phones while the majority of people using the service just want to make it to/from work? Or you take your concern for your phone battery into consideration before leaving the house by ensuring your phone is fully charged and bring a power bank if your phone battery is weak.

On the vandalism topic, I was on an X-Lines StreetDeck mere days after their introduction on the service and noticed that several chargers (ports and wireless) had already been damaged. We sometimes can't have nice things because people can be *insert expletive here*.

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If it's the odd charger not working, then I understand. But when they're all off, for what seems like for ever, then it's taking the p.

You report it to the driver, and they just shrug it off, you get in touch with customer services they just tell you to tell the driver, or if you're lucky you'll get the old "I've passed it onto the depot" fob off. 
There's been a 240V socket smashed and bent outwards on one of the X21 B5s for at least a year now, and it still hasn't been fixed. I've given up reporting it now because they don't do anything about it.

Is it the end of the world if the chargers don't work, no, of course not. But it's the principal of actually providing the features that are advertised.

I know it's a big leap, but if they're not repairing them, how do we know they're repairing more important things!

(07 Jul 2022, 1:18 am)Attstreetdeckfan wrote If it's the odd charger not working, then I understand. But when they're all off, for what seems like for ever, then it's taking the p.

You report it to the driver, and they just shrug it off, you get in touch with customer services they just tell you to tell the driver, or if you're lucky you'll get the old "I've passed it onto the depot" fob off. 
There's been a 240V socket smashed and bent outwards on one of the X21 B5s for at least a year now, and it still hasn't been fixed. I've given up reporting it now because they don't do anything about it.

Is it the end of the world if the chargers don't work, no, of course not. But it's the principal of actually providing the features that are advertised.

I know it's a big leap, but if they're not repairing them, how do we know they're repairing more important things!

Attention to these detail items is something that GNE seems to have taken its eye off - I was on an X30 the other day with the cove vinyl still showing the service running through to Consett.

(07 Jul 2022, 7:40 am)busmanT wrote Attention to these detail items is something that GNE seems to have taken its eye off - I was on an X30 the other day with the cove vinyl still showing the service running through to Consett.

Everyone's favourite livery designer/copier & paster would be all over that.
If it was any other operator.

It's not a problem with minimum wage rising. It's a decades old problem of businesses being allowed to drive down wages.

Which i believe is a tory strategy?

Although this particular comment is not about fare changes I do have a genuine question, about the concession passes that people get from Council, I've been on the bus multiple times where the person has had one and someone behind them was getting on with them and have said '2 please', I though those passes were just for the people with their faces on. Can someone please explain this.

(09 Jul 2022, 9:40 pm)nova347 wrote Although this particular comment is not about fare changes I do have a genuine question, about the concession passes that people get from Council, I've been on the bus multiple times where the person has had one and someone behind them was getting on with them and have said '2 please', I though those passes were just for the people with their faces on. Can someone please explain this.

Some concessionary passes allow the holder to travel with a companion if they're unable to travel unaided.

I'm not usually one for making assumptions about people and invisible disabilities, but I tend to see a lot of people in certain estates using those passes that, on the face of it, seem like they don't need assistance when travelling. Then again, it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't even their pass to begin with!

(09 Jul 2022, 9:40 pm)nova347 wrote Although this particular comment is not about fare changes I do have a genuine question, about the concession passes that people get from Council, I've been on the bus multiple times where the person has had one and someone behind them was getting on with them and have said '2 please', I though those passes were just for the people with their faces on. Can someone please explain this.

You can passes that include companions, at least thats the case for the Disabled one. I didnt when i got mine, because i dont know if you have to just travel with the companion

(09 Jul 2022, 9:40 pm)nova347 wrote Although this particular comment is not about fare changes I do have a genuine question, about the concession passes that people get from Council, I've been on the bus multiple times where the person has had one and someone behind them was getting on with them and have said '2 please', I though those passes were just for the people with their faces on. Can someone please explain this.

Sometimes people can have a companion if they have a pass because they have a, disability which makes it difficult or not safe for them to go out unaccompanied eg because they have certain mental health issues, learning difficulties or communication problems.

If someone scores highly on the daily living component of PIP, as well as mobility, thus automatically entitles them to travel with a carer on the pass.

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(09 Jul 2022, 9:54 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote You can passes that include companions, at least thats the case for the Disabled one. I didnt when i got mine, because i dont know if you have to just travel with the companion

You are fine to make local, familiar journeys alone. There would probably be a beep if someone with a plus 1 pass from Durham tried to use it alone in Morpeth, though!

That said, they would have to use it alone in Middlesbrough. I buy an appropriate day ticket if I'm expecting to catch more than one bus in teesside with one of the boys on their pass because they don't have the companion agreement.

(09 Jul 2022, 10:49 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Sometimes people can have a companion if they have a pass because they have a, disability which makes it difficult or not safe for them to go out unaccompanied eg because they have certain mental health issues, learning difficulties or communication problems.

If someone scores highly on the daily living component of PIP, as well as mobility, thus automatically entitles them to travel with a carer on the pass.

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You are fine to make local, familiar journeys alone. There would probably be a beep if someone with a plus 1 pass from Durham tried to use it alone in Morpeth, though!

That said, they would have to use it alone in Middlesbrough. I buy an appropriate day ticket if I'm expecting to catch more than one bus in teesside with one of the boys on their pass because they don't have the companion agreement.

Thanks

(09 Jul 2022, 10:49 pm)BusLoverMum wrote That said, they would have to use it alone in Middlesbrough. I buy an appropriate day ticket if I'm expecting to catch more than one bus in teesside with one of the boys on their pass because they don't have the companion agreement.

Yes that seems to be the case if you're too far out of the local area, Durham and Nexus areas work together. But when I've had people with companion passes from elsewhere in England they don't work on our buses.

In relation to the companion passes, when they are placed on the ticket machine there are 2 options - one for travelling alone and the other for two people.

Also, something which I only learned of when at Arriva, Hartlepool council don't issue companion disability passes. Therefore if you travelled to Hartlepool from Peterlee with a Durham companion pass, it would work however on return from Hartlepool to Peterlee the companion was required to pay single fare until the County Durham border. I'm unsure if this is still the case but it was about 5 year ago.

It is still the case, so if I caught the X12 to Middlesbrough and back with Eldest, I'd get there as a companion but would have to buy my own ticket home. I can travel as a companion if we start a journey in Co Durham, Tyne & Wear or Northumberland, but nowhere else.

Children travel free is back from 23rd July

(15 Jul 2022, 6:24 pm)Retro Nero wrote Children travel free is back from 23rd July

Is there any point if there’s no buses to get?

Nearly a week in with revised fares but the side vinyl's (by the doors) are still showing old fares !
Confrontation for Drivers!!!!

(28 Jul 2022, 4:09 pm)Retro Nero wrote Nearly a week in with revised fares but the side vinyl's (by the doors) are still showing old fares !
Confrontation for Drivers!!!!

The NSA's screens are showing the £20 message too.

(28 Jul 2022, 4:09 pm)Retro Nero wrote Nearly a week in with revised fares but the side vinyl's (by the doors) are still showing old fares !
Confrontation for Drivers!!!!

(28 Jul 2022, 4:41 pm)Ambassador wrote The NSA's screens are showing the £20 message too.

Where's that 'vomit' emoji at?

(28 Jul 2022, 4:48 pm)Andreos1 wrote Where's that 'vomit' emoji at?

I guess your not a driver and haven't had a bad case of passenger confrontation, regarding mistakes or delayed changes of updated information from management side

(28 Jul 2022, 4:41 pm)Ambassador wrote The NSA's screens are showing the £20 message too.

Yet they’ve managed to update NSAs to include a shoutout to a couple of random micro pubs….

(28 Jul 2022, 4:58 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Yet they’ve managed to update NSAs to include a shoutout to a couple of random micro pubs….

Pubs before giving your customers the right information

Are Go North East planning a decal change for all buses which has the old bus fares on? And interior route maps aswell

(28 Jul 2022, 6:28 pm)Unber43 wrote Are Go North East planning a decal change for all buses which has the old bus fares on? And interior route maps aswell

Let's start with the big one that being 5498. That whole advert on the inside is all about the fares. Swear it's the only bus to have all branding on the inside be about prices and fares

(28 Jul 2022, 6:28 pm)Unber43 wrote Are Go North East planning a decal change for all buses which has the old bus fares on? And interior route maps aswell

Yes, and the supplier has already made some progress on changing these - sadly it isn’t achieved with a wave of a magic wand and is a process that takes time.


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(28 Jul 2022, 8:36 pm)Dan wrote Yes, and the supplier has already made some progress on changing these - sadly it isn’t achieved with a wave of a magic wand and is a process that takes time.


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Thank you! 

Well these changes are quite big, repaints etc will take time. 

What about interior decals for the 61 & 65 are they planned any time soon?

(28 Jul 2022, 8:36 pm)Dan wrote Yes, and the supplier has already made some progress on changing these - sadly it isn’t achieved with a wave of a magic wand and is a process that takes time.


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I imagine it'll be like painting the Forth Bridge with the continuous changes GNE make to their services.

(28 Jul 2022, 4:54 pm)Retro Nero wrote I guess your not a driver and haven't had a bad case of passenger confrontation, regarding mistakes or delayed changes of updated information from management side

I guess you're missing the irony with this one.