Open top buses should be nowhere near commercial work.

It might be fun for a kid but if I was using a bus I don't want an open top bus with it's plastic seats and grotty interior.

Can't stand it from both Stagecoach and GNE but admit the second has seemed to stop it lately.

(20 Jun 2024, 12:39 pm)V514DFT wrote And the 18

(15 Aug 2024, 2:48 pm)DeltaMan wrote Early morning service within Newcastle are relatively poor, period.

One of the few weaknesses in the Busways network in Newcastle is they don't run pretty much before 0600. The 30/31, 37/38 for example should really have pre 6am departures Monday to Saturday. 

Appreciate they are different markets, but you can get from Chesterfield to Matlock on a X17 Stagecoach service before 06:00, but you can't travel from Benwell to the City Centre at the same time!

The 62 from Killingworth at 0500’& 0630 is my way to work some days. There is 38A which starts at 0426 from cowgate and Whickham view but apart from these it’s largely useless

(15 Aug 2024, 4:59 pm)Acky81 wrote I spoke to Stagecoach today and they said they operate 4 buses but no specific board. Seriously what’s the point

Very rare for all four to be out at once too though I think it happened this week.  They did try timed boards last year or possibly the year before but I think unreliability made it just as pointless as random operation.  Should say as well of course if you look at bustimes on the morning you will see the board and runs they are allocated to that day (subject to being swapped off) so not the end of the world.

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(15 Aug 2024, 7:44 pm)Storx wrote Open top buses should be nowhere near commercial work.

It might be fun for a kid but if I was using a bus I don't want an open top bus with it's plastic seats and grotty interior.

Beg to differ on this, plenty of times I've heard people (families with kids, and adult couples without kids etc) over the moon to see an open topper turn up and in contrast don't think I've ever heard anyone moan about one appearing.  It might be different once the new electrics arrive but the standard stuff chucked on the Es currently is hardly luxury.

(15 Aug 2024, 9:42 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Beg to differ on this, plenty of times I've heard people (families with kids, and adult couples without kids etc) over the moon to see an open topper turn up and in contrast don't think I've ever heard anyone moan about one appearing.  It might be different once the new electrics arrive but the standard stuff chucked on the Es currently is hardly luxury.

These aren't commuters who have been to work etc though and are just leisure users. 

Someone leaving work doesn't want nonsense like that, they want to go home after a hard day's work. 

By all means run a summer service somewhere but it shouldn't be in service in frontline service. They'd arguably be better doing a shuttle from somewhere like Seaburn to Sunderland or South Shields to Ocean Park so the usual buses aren't slammed with beach goers.

(15 Aug 2024, 9:52 pm)Storx wrote These aren't commuters who have been to work etc though and are just leisure users. 

Someone leaving work doesn't want nonsense like that, they want to go home after a hard day's work. 

By all means run a summer service somewhere but it shouldn't be in service in frontline service. They'd arguably be better doing a shuttle from somewhere like Seaburn to Sunderland or South Shields to Ocean Park so the usual buses aren't slammed with beach goers.

People can be on their way home from work and be exposed to a little joy, miserable doesn’t need to be the default state.

(15 Aug 2024, 9:52 pm)Storx wrote These aren't commuters who have been to work etc though and are just leisure users. 

Someone leaving work doesn't want nonsense like that, they want to go home after a hard day's work. 

By all means run a summer service somewhere but it shouldn't be in service in frontline service. They'd arguably be better doing a shuttle from somewhere like Seaburn to Sunderland or South Shields to Ocean Park so the usual buses aren't slammed with beach goers.

Not sure how you can know they aren't commuters as they are just punters who get the bus - could be for any reason.  As they aren't advertised runs I'm not talking about people seeking out open toppers.  I am talking about avergae person in queue for bus, open topper arrives, punter happy (or indifferent) not angry is my experience.

Not sure why you think an open topper is stopping anyone getting home after a hard day's work either.  It is a bus running the advertised route.  Fair enough if it is pissing down and they have to sit upstairs in the rain but that doesn't seem to be the argument you are making so genuinely a bit baffled by what there is to moan about.

Also genuinely curious now, I'm not sure what the commuter versus leisure split is on the E routes.

(15 Aug 2024, 10:00 pm)James101 wrote People can be on their way home from work and be exposed to a little joy, miserable doesn’t need to be the default state.

(15 Aug 2024, 10:50 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Not sure how you can know they aren't commuters as they are just punters who get the bus - could be for any reason.  As they aren't advertised runs I'm not talking about people seeking out open toppers.  I am talking about avergae person in queue for bus, open topper arrives, punter happy (or indifferent) not angry is my experience.

Not sure why you think an open topper is stopping anyone getting home after a hard day's work either.  It is a bus running the advertised route.  Fair enough if it is pissing down and they have to sit upstairs in the rain but that doesn't seem to be the argument you are making so genuinely a bit baffled by what there is to moan about.

Also genuinely curious now, I'm not sure what the commuter versus leisure split is on the E routes.

Going to reply together but I'm not scrooge but I don't really need to explain why a commuter wouldn't particularly be happy with 20+ year old, with no roof, with plastic seats which are grubby as an understatement and can't hear yourself think because they're an awful Trident. 

It also doesn't make sense because the people who actually want to ride one can't either because they're just completely random. 

I really don't understand why they're still here personally, 25 year old nearly, unreliable and they have no real purpose.

Personally I'd love to see them if they're going to keep them on a summer special doing something like South Shields Ferry - South Shields Interchange - Ocean Beach. The links are pretty confusing for a random who never comes down.

You may be in luck - this is their last year if the rumour mill is to be believed. They only just scraped through their MOTs last year due to emissions (think it's less CO2 and more the amount of crap they kick out the exhaust sometimes - I had 17239 on wed and gassed a few cars, which was very entertaining I'll admit).

To answer above - all 4 were out on Wednesday and all 4 did the full running board without issue.

To be honest, I think they should have a specific open top service in the summer, Sunderland to Shields but sticking entirely to the coast road the entire way. It'd take some pressure off the E buses as well as not having to experience the joys of Horsley Hill or Laygate on an open top bus.

(Yesterday, 3:06 pm)deanmachine wrote To be honest, I think they should have a specific open top service in the summer, Sunderland to Shields but sticking entirely to the coast road the entire way. It'd take some pressure off the E buses as well as not having to experience the joys of Horsley Hill or Laygate on an open top bus.

This is what we keep saying.

(Yesterday, 3:06 pm)deanmachine wrote To be honest, I think they should have a specific open top service in the summer, Sunderland to Shields but sticking entirely to the coast road the entire way. It'd take some pressure off the E buses as well as not having to experience the joys of Horsley Hill or Laygate on an open top bus.

They did once. I think they don't now as the open tops are not completely reliable so advertising an open top service and having to substitute another bus could disappoint passengers.

(Yesterday, 3:06 pm)deanmachine wrote To be honest, I think they should have a specific open top service in the summer, Sunderland to Shields but sticking entirely to the coast road the entire way. It'd take some pressure off the E buses as well as not having to experience the joys of Horsley Hill or Laygate on an open top bus.

This is what happens when stagecoach buys busways out and streamline and cut services to the bone to please the shareholders , profit before passengers safety and well being, should of kept double deckers on the E services, stagecoach are not going to pay the use of open top buses and drivers wages on top of normal services that are running plus wages, roker and harbour view residents/passengers have been hit hard with only the E1 service with the cancelled 18/19 service in the area, passengers are lucky to get a seat or a standing space on the full capacity  E1 from shields

(11 hours ago)The cbma06 wrote This is what happens when stagecoach buys busways out and streamline and cut services to the bone to please the shareholders , profit before passengers safety and well being, should of kept double deckers on the E services, stagecoach are not going to pay the use of open top buses and drivers wages on top of normal services that are running plus wages, roker and harbour view residents/passengers have been hit hard with only the E1 service with the cancelled 18/19 service in the area, passengers are lucky to get a seat or a standing space on the full capacity  E1 from shields

They should reroute the E6 via Roker and seafront , and extend the 23 to Seaburn via Dykelands Rd (Sunday route) every day.

(11 hours ago)cbma06 wrote This is what happens when stagecoach buys busways out and streamline and cut services to the bone to please the shareholders , profit before passengers safety and well being, should of kept double deckers on the E services, stagecoach are not going to pay the use of open top buses and drivers wages on top of normal services that are running plus wages, roker and harbour view residents/passengers have been hit hard with only the E1 service with the cancelled 18/19 service in the area, passengers are lucky to get a seat or a standing space on the full capacity  E1 from shields

I assumed when they bought 20x Yutongs for the E1/E2/E6 they would reinstate the 20 mins Freq (5 combined) along the corridor as that was cut during COVID, then halfed during the 'Great Driver Shortage of 2021' then upped to the Covid freq of now, but nothing has been mentioned.
Really should have deckers, they are always busier than anyother route or corridor. Alternatively they could Extend the 23 (and renumber it to E3 or something).

Or just simply magic Decker's out of nowhere just like they need to do for both Slatyford and Walkergate!
But yet again done the logic of sticking to frequency and single decks 

(9 hours ago)logidoodah wrote I assumed when they bought 20x Yutongs for the E1/E2/E6 they would reinstate the 20 mins Freq (5 combined) along the corridor as that was cut during COVID, then halfed during the 'Great Driver Shortage of 2021' then upped to the Covid freq of now, but nothing has been mentioned.
Really should have deckers, they are always busier than anyother route or corridor. Alternatively they could Extend the 23 (and renumber it to E3 or something).

Or just simply magic Decker's out of nowhere just like they need to do for both Slatyford and Walkergate!
But yet again done the logic of sticking to frequency and single decks 

I wonder how much percentage stagecoach has actually paid for the yutongs? As there’s a very high percentage that there being paid for from the corrupt uk government using uk tax payers money, since stagecoach been purchased by a German investment company and unwilling to put there hands in there pockets and running bus services and vehicles to the ground, hints similar to DB towards Arriva

(9 hours ago)logidoodah wrote I assumed when they bought 20x Yutongs for the E1/E2/E6 they would reinstate the 20 mins Freq (5 combined) along the corridor as that was cut during COVID, then halfed during the 'Great Driver Shortage of 2021' then upped to the Covid freq of now, but nothing has been mentioned.
Really should have deckers, they are always busier than anyother route or corridor. Alternatively they could Extend the 23 (and renumber it to E3 or something).

Or just simply magic Decker's out of nowhere just like they need to do for both Slatyford and Walkergate!
But yet again done the logic of sticking to frequency and single decks 

Does the E2 and E6 actually need anymore capacity? It's an open question that I really don't know.

or maybe it might be better to up the E1 to every 15 minutes and keep the other 2 every 30 minutes, heck you could even have a short E1 only running from Sunderland to Seaburn, it technically could be done with one bus - ideal for those open top buses in the Summer...

(Yesterday, 3:06 pm)deanmachine wrote To be honest, I think they should have a specific open top service in the summer, Sunderland to Shields but sticking entirely to the coast road the entire way. It'd take some pressure off the E buses as well as not having to experience the joys of Horsley Hill or Laygate on an open top bus.

The 22 used to do this back in the 90s using the Sunderland Busways and Economic open toppers, not sure it it could be done with just 2 buses given today's traffic but Seaburn to Marsden or something might be possible leaving enough spares to allow for VORs etc.