(24 Jan 2021, 7:58 pm)Andreos1 wrote If it's not a new thing, why hasn't anyone noticed it before? Too subtle perhaps? Or just flawed?
Why the random mixture of colours that don't correlate to any of the strategy at all and an apparent inconsistency across the fleet?
The 26/27 branded Geminis are red at the back - so that apparently allows them to qualify for the strategy for the red area (wherever the red area is), yet the 4 branded Mercs are pink at the front - allowing them to qualify for the strategy. But not the back, cos that's blue and despite the back end of some buses being included in some areas - with other parts of the fleet, its the front end.
Some strategy!
As I've said before, I'd rather (and I'm sure many other passengers across the region would too) to have a network of services that works for me. That takes me to where I need to be, without the need to faff on changing buses and hoping there's some sort of connection within a relatively short period of time.
I'd rather that, than see the operator prioritising repaints and faffing on with the blind displays - swapping formats and ignoring best practice.
A network that works for passengers may get more likes on social media too and not just likes from enthusiasts or even colleagues in other parts of the country - intent on carrying on the apparent industry habit of slapping each other on the back at any given opportunity.
I'm sorry if honest and constructive feedback from a customer perspective shocks.
I completely agree with you. Seems like a dodgy move to make, associating all of the brands to colours of areas that some of them don't even cover. What's even more confusing is why the colour schemes don't match up to the GoZones. You'd think they would do that...
Personally, I used to have so much admiration for Go North East's diverse range of liveries, but that's gradually going out of the window as more of them are discontinued. If they decide to do a massive overhaul to the likes of "Coast & Country", "Black Cats" and "Prince Bishops" — by which I mean they alter the colour schemes or they remove them completely — I'll be well and truly done, which makes me really sad because I’ve been so passionate about GNE for years. "X-lines" and the recent addition of coaches on the X9/X10 were bad enough in my eyes. Genuinely praying that the coaches fail like the others did in the past. Not sorry.
As a design enthusiast, I'm also absolutely sick of seeing the Axiforma typeface plastered all over every bus as well, now; the exact reason I hate Best Impressions, because ironically they give off the worst impression by duplicating the same designs for every company they are commissioned for. Would love to know what happened to the arrangement with Beacon, whose work was actually worthy to look at and promoted some differentiation — and they were a local business.
The last decade or so has seen regular Go North East users become accustomed to associating the routes they use with the livery and brand name that the bus is emblazoned with. They want to know where the bus is going to take them, which route branding plays a key part in. Taking those brands and their route information away from the sides of the bus — which has now either already been done to, or proposed to, 24 brands and counting since the 2016 rebrand took place — and giving every vehicle the same look, has the effect of pushing customers away. Why would anyone want to do that? I mean, what the hell happened to the likes of "Loop", "The Waggonway" and "The Blaydon Racer" (black version)?? Do not tell me they were irrelevant for the routes they covered. Now they're all red, yellow and blue. Boring man. I could go on, and on, and on. Literally.
Also totally agree with you on the way in which the individual areas are being represented. "Crusader"/"CityRider" red colour at the back yet "Connections 4" pink at the front? Makes no sense.
Don't even get me started on the blind displays; they’re my biggest pet peeve right now. As far as I see it, what they're now doing — by swapping the number onto the offside AND introducing different sizes to vehicles, i.e. the Yutongs — is ridiculous. Why, after years of the sizes being roughly the same and the numbers being on the nearside face, are they being changed? To copy Transdev? Wow. Because their format is really attractive. Not. Not to mention how all of this has now upset the fleet as loads of the buses have the white section and require the number where it was. Just change it back, or cut the black glazing to allow more of the blinds to be seen at the side. The Citaros and Solos certainly don’t need them on the other side.
Go North East have become this operator that is either copying everyone else through using “Best” Impressions, or trying way too hard to stand out from other local operators with their inverted destination display format. It really is nonsense. Sorry Dan, if you’re reading this, but my enthusiasm for GNE's future is teetering, and I mean it: that was a lot of enthusiasm.