(10 Oct 2014, 12:07 pm)Michael wrote hence why they should put a bus lane from the Wavendon to Broadway petrol station... that's the worst part of it! 

The problem of that section of road dates back to the early 90's, the council was looking at 2 options , the first option was to have the Chester road super route, second option is to have a London style congestion charge entering Sunderland from the boundaries of Ryhope, A19/A690,A19/A183 and North Sunderland ( I think the north Sunderland boundary was going to be fulwell mill. Since Chester road super route got scrapped then due to council cutbacks from getting less money from the government, previously it was stated that if the super route not getting built then the council was looking to put the congestion charge in by 2018-2022. So quite a few years yet.

(10 Oct 2014, 12:41 pm)cbma06 wrote The problem of that section of road dates back to the early 90's, the council was looking at 2 options , the first option was to have the Chester road super route, second option is to have a London style congestion charge entering Sunderland from the boundaries of Ryhope, A19/A690,A19/A183 and North Sunderland ( I think the north Sunderland boundary was going to be fulwell mill. Since Chester road super route got scrapped then due to council cutbacks from getting less money from the government, previously it was stated that if the super route not getting built then the council was looking to put the congestion charge in by 2018-2022. So quite a few years yet.

Id rather have a super route, still think a bus lane could help with traffic and if it was changed from a roundabout to a square like junction and place traffic lights there to, it will be a massive help and safer..

And in other news....

http://www.simplygo.com/news/bus-compani...top-title/

Old news that man eezypeazy. Dan put a link up elsewhere yesterday.

Nearly choked on my tea, reading the potential award for pricing!
Checked it wasn't April 1st either!
It isn't April 1st, so can only assume the entry was to make up the numbers .
No sign of the likes of Brylaine in that section mind. £3.95 to travel half the length of Lincolnshire for 5p less than it costs on a short hop into Durham on the 20.

(10 Oct 2014, 5:51 am)Dan wrote In other news, Dennis Trident 3890 is back at Percy Main following a deep clean at Thorntons.
I believe it was allocated to a scholars service yesterday afternoon, so it should be out on 327s today for anyone wanting a photograph... Either 3866 or 3867 should go to Saltmeadows after finishing up on this morning's 327.

Percy Main still have 3874 - possible that it's staying on temporarily to cover for the DFDS allocation in the paintshop.

Indeed 3890 is on 327 looks nice in Pink and white with the slogan "mini cruise, massive fun" and got photos 

(10 Oct 2014, 1:42 pm)Andreos1 wrote Old news that man eezypeazy. Dan put a link up elsewhere yesterday.

How? GNE only put it on their site this afternoon...

Was published elsewhere yesterday. Not sure where Dan got the link from, it is in Off topic bus chat.

I saw the link on twitter from one of the transport publications a short while earlier.

Well for them routes like the 21, 56, simple! No change given and exact fare only with clearly published zones, that would stop half of the delays that happen with muppets paying with £10 / £20 notes for only a short hop!

Fun and games on the 50 this evening. Pulls into Chester towards Shields a good 17 minutes late. Ticket machine is broken with a "Fatal error", so the driver collars the supervisor in Chester. Apparently all the machines are doing this now? Anyhow, replaced at the depot, but no attempt to take any fares or validate passes. Sigh...

(10 Oct 2014, 4:50 pm)aureolin wrote Ticket machine is broken with a "Fatal error"

So, who is the hacker?

Can this be done via the onboard wi-fi?

I think we should be told.

(10 Oct 2014, 4:50 pm)aureolin wrote Fun and games on the 50 this evening. Pulls into Chester towards Shields a good 17 minutes late. Ticket machine is broken with a "Fatal error", so the driver collars the supervisor in Chester. Apparently all the machines are doing this now? Anyhow, replaced at the depot, but no attempt to take any fares or validate passes. Sigh...

Not every machine, but some are.  VIX have got a solution and its going to be uploaded very soon.

(10 Oct 2014, 5:51 am)Dan wrote In other news, Dennis Trident 3890 is back at Percy Main following a deep clean at Thorntons.
I believe it was allocated to a scholars service yesterday afternoon, so it should be out on 327s today for anyone wanting a photograph... Either 3866 or 3867 should go to Saltmeadows after finishing up on this morning's 327.

Percy Main still have 3874 - possible that it's staying on temporarily to cover for the DFDS allocation in the paintshop.

Now have confirmation that 3867 is the example at Saltmeadows ready to be painted now.

(10 Oct 2014, 5:02 pm)Dan wrote Now have confirmation that 3867 is the example at Saltmeadows ready to be painted now.

Even though there's only 4 to do repaint, give a deep wash, they're doing them quite quick

(10 Oct 2014, 5:00 pm)citaro5284 wrote Not every machine, but some are.  VIX have got a solution and its going to be uploaded very soon.

Cheers. Thought that might be the case!

(10 Oct 2014, 4:37 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote Well for them routes like the 21, 56, simple! No change given and exact fare only with clearly published zones, that would stop half of the delays that happen with muppets paying with £10 / £20 notes for only a short hop!

It's not as easy as that, the days that cash machines start dishing out pound coins and 10ps etc. then that's the day I'd support this system. I know some places have it in practice but I find it a strange system. If you've got no change, you have to go to cash point- you're stuck with a note. 

(10 Oct 2014, 5:45 pm)Drifter60 wrote It's not as easy as that, the days that cash machines start dishing out pound coins and 10ps etc. then that's the day I'd support this system. I know some places have it in practice but I find it a strange system. If you've got no change, you have to go to cash point- you're stuck with a note. 

Works well in Edinburgh.
There are change dispensers dotted around in appropriate places - indeed I have used the one in the bus station.

(10 Oct 2014, 5:45 pm)Drifter60 wrote It's not as easy as that, the days that cash machines start dishing out pound coins and 10ps etc. then that's the day I'd support this system. I know some places have it in practice but I find it a strange system. If you've got no change, you have to go to cash point- you're stuck with a note. 

Not only that, it also gives passengers a reason to travel with competitors. 

(10 Oct 2014, 5:48 pm)Dan wrote Works well in Edinburgh.
There are change dispensers dotted around in appropriate places - indeed I have used the one in the bus station.

Is there one on Princes Street? The main corridor for Lothian and where most people will board their bus in Edinburgh.

Who would finance and service the change machines?

Nexus?

It's simple where the bus operator has a monopoly (like Edinburgh), but with GNE, Stagecoach and ANE having shares of the traffic, would that lead to 'tokens' rather than coins?

(10 Oct 2014, 5:56 pm)Robert wrote Is there one on Princes Street? The main corridor for Lothian and where most people will board their bus in Edinburgh.

Bound to be one somewhere on Princes Street. I haven't used one there, but it'd be highly unusual if there wasn't one.

(10 Oct 2014, 6:17 pm)G-CPTN wrote Who would finance and service the change machines?

Nexus?

It's simple where the bus operator has a monopoly (like Edinburgh), but with GNE, Stagecoach and ANE having shares of the traffic, would that lead to 'tokens' rather than coins?

There aren't any Lothian Buses services which serve Edinburgh Bus Station, and as far as I know, all operators which serve the bus station issue change - but there are still change machines there...

The infrastructure has to be there. As someone else has stated above, cash machines don't dish out coins. There's that along with the fact that none of the big three operators publish their single and return fares. Are people expected to carry pockets full of change around? Also, how does it stop people from paying for say a £4.80 fare in 5p coins? Would that not take the driver longer to count out? It's legal tender up to the value of £5 after all...

In addition to being transparent and publishing single/return fares, if there was a smart ticketing option that you can top up (like Oyster), and also the ability to make credit/debit card payments via NFC, then I wouldn't have too much of an issue with this. Until then though, there's no justification for moving to exact fare, and it would have to be a staged/phased approach at least. 

Out of interest Davey, can I ask what mode of payment you use for your bus journeys? I have a limited Arriva season ticket, but need to use cash for GNE buses, and I rarely have the exact fare to a T. Usually £3 for a £2.70 fare, £5 for a £3.20 fare... etc...

(10 Oct 2014, 6:34 pm)aureolin wrote The infrastructure has to be there. As someone else has stated above, cash machines don't dish out coins. There's that along with the fact that none of the big three operators publish their single and return fares. Are people expected to carry pockets full of change around? Also, how does it stop people from paying for say a £4.80 fare in 5p coins? Would that not take the driver longer to count out? It's legal tender up to the value of £5 after all...

All Go-Ahead operators are undergoing website changes at the moment, and the revised websites include a fare calculator which issues details of single and return fares. Not long before Go North East's website gets the same treatment...

(10 Oct 2014, 6:39 pm)Dan wrote All Go-Ahead operators are undergoing website changes at the moment, and the revised websites include a fare calculator which issues details of single and return fares. Not long before Go North East's website gets the same treatment...

Aye, I've seen the Oxford Bus one, which is quite good. Hopefully we'll get fares displayed on the timetable at bus stops with QCS too though... 

(10 Oct 2014, 6:44 pm)aureolin wrote Aye, I've seen the Oxford Bus one, which is quite good. Hopefully we'll get fares displayed on the timetable at bus stops with QCS too though... 

I'd argue it's something which could be achieved with or without the Quality Contracts Scheme?

Electronic timetable information boards (at Hexham and Corbridge) aren't interactive - which means that when the scheduled departure time has passed the information disappears from the display - regardless of whether the bus has arrived (and departed).

3890 now repainted Pink 

(10 Oct 2014, 6:50 pm)Dan wrote I'd argue it's something which could be achieved with or without the Quality Contracts Scheme?

Not unless the bus companies start being a little more transparent with such commercially senstive information.  Been hard enough for NEXUS to get accurate info about staff numbers!

(10 Oct 2014, 9:25 pm)Racer_Experience wrote 3890 now repainted Pink

Looks quite nice.

(10 Oct 2014, 9:30 pm)Marcus wrote Looks quite nice.

Here is a more side-ward view of it:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nebp2/15310210559/

(10 Oct 2014, 9:30 pm)Marcus wrote Looks quite nice.

not a big fan of the colour pink i prefer the green