(03 Apr 2021, 2:20 pm)cbma06 wrote Back in the day when GNE ran the 592/593 with metroriders, and trips were missed and sections of route were missed out.
Same when there ran the 126 with mercs and in service missing out big chunks of route , and Vosa didn’t shut them down.
To many nit picking on GCT, to much anti for independents, should be Lucky that these independents are still running which haven’t been swallowed up or ran off the road, otherwise the top 3 bus companies in the area will charge what there like to the local authorities for contracts which they deemed is not for profit for there shareholders to pay for there second homes and mistresses [emoji23]
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I don't think anyone is 'anti-independents' - what doesn't wash nowadays is poor operation, and that is the same regardless of who the operator is, be it the larger three, or anyone else.
JH Coaches and Stanley Travel are two excellent examples of SME operators who invest in their fleet, are smartly presented, have kind and courteous drivers, and seem to run their contracts well. They mightn't have all the same 'niceties' such as free Wi-Fi and power sockets as Go North East or Arriva, for example, but are really professional and seem to be doing well for themselves (even if that's in other areas - not the local bus scene tender market, where Gateshead Central Taxis almost have the monopoly).
A-line Coaches have also significantly invested in the last year or two, have created a new corporate identity (even if I'm personally not keen on their battleship grey livery), and have fulfilled the BODS requirements, so their services can now be tracked in real-time.