(26 Feb 2018, 11:07 am)Dan wrote 3968, 3975 and 3977 all currently based at Percy Main - not really a loan to Percy Main as such, as seven extra buses are required to operate the DFDS Seaways 327 service at the moment (which would have been how you saw it heading along the Coast Road at the weekend). This was always the intention for the Special Events buses - not to be reinstated as and when required on commercial services, like the recent examples at Deptford and Chester-le-Street.
Suspect 5294 is a wrong fleet number in ticket machine, if you spotted this on the app rather than in the flesh. Likely to be one of the SPEV Volvo B7s, possibly 3975, and the machine came off 5294 at some point in time without having fleet number changed when it was put back on another bus.
All should be back at Riverside this weekend I think, for the Metro Replacement contract between St James and Monkseaton via The Coast.
3974 was on a Percy Main service as well.