(26 Jun 2021, 11:23 pm)Storx wrote GNE don't deserve the 335 and should be blocked from running it imo. Half the bus route is literally an ex GNE route, if GNE can't run it commercially then they shouldn't be getting it through a subsidy as it just promotes bus companies to suddenly decide that they can't run any marginal services anymore because why not let Nexus pay to run it instead.
Personally I think the 335 is a waste of tax payers money anyway as most the route is covered by other services (42A / 309 / 310 / 11 / 19 / 53 / 1 (SNE) / 63 / Metro) and if there's no direct link then it's only 1 change where the services are all every 7 minutes or so mostly at Four Lane Ends or Killingworth for Quorum from places. The limited subsidy money should be about serving communities with little / no service at all.
Go North East will never be ‘blocked’ from bidding (or winning) any contracts, unless they receive a number of formal warnings which would result in the termination of their running of that contract.
The best value tenderer for the contract, usually weighted on price, will win. If that’s Go North East, then they will be awarded the contract.
Local authorities and bus operators will be working much more closely on this type of thing going forward under enhanced partnerships.
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