(07 Dec 2018, 10:13 pm)Boggle wrote Yeah, it's amazing the difference 30 mins makes to the traffic.  It should calm down a bit after Christmas as you say, Newcastle is starting to get pretty manic which can't help.  I'm not convinced by those new lights next to the castle either, the timing really seems to back traffic up which means buses are struggling to get out at the bottom of the Bigg Market.

It seems that your X21 run is settling down timing-wise this week, which is good, although it looks like being on time for the 93 run is still going to be difficult, if not impossible, particularly given that you finish in Newburn pointing the wrong way for Team Valley so presumably have to go somewhere to turn before setting off, which in itself must eat into the 20 mins allowed for your empty run.

I push the bus as much as itll do and I'm allowed to do (whilst being comfortably safe) on the X21. Teething issues have cleared. One of those days it was just hitting every red light and tonnes of idiots but now I can get through those gaps and issue fares quick enough to get on with it. I was so nervous of scraping those lovely B9s lol but now I've gotten used to it all. Had to also get riversides displays fitted onto 6017, the first day I had it, at gateshead on the way in light when I was due at gateshead on the way out because the controller had messed up.

Eldon square is enough chaos already without a bus saying "welcome aboard" on for a partial dupe journey.

After christmas it'll be easier for me too. I don't mind being late but it starts getting crazy and impractical when I'm covering a half shift 90 mins after I'm due to finish and I'm barely making it. But it's all good at the end of the day.

It's probably one of the most chaotic runs a new starter could have but I love a good ol' challenge