(01 Sep 2021, 9:37 pm)Keeiajs wrote So what is GNE's ebus plans. Personally after the investment Consett has gotten they should stay away from that for atleast 4 years.
Contrary to popular believe, GNE don't have a money tree in the car park at Queen Street, so I wouldn't get over-excited about investment beyond what has gone into changing the network for beyond this week. I'd imagine like most companies, Go Ahead Group's cheque book being opened will largely depend on customer levels returning close to pre-pandemic levels, whether that be by the return of previous travel plans or the encouraging of new travel plans, through incentives like the £1 evening fare offer.
(02 Sep 2021, 12:57 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I have a friend who uses the X47 to get to and from work every day, and when I told her she'd probably be losing the new buses she wasn't happy like!
She complained when one of the Diamond B5s turned up instead of a StreetDeck last night!
I have some sympathy and I think this is a problem with overselling. There's that much focus put into how good Xlines is (and I do think its something they should shout about), that when anything else turns up, it's chalk and cheese from what you've been used to. I'd say evening X30 customers probably think the same, when there's a few runs picked up by Riverside using 10+ year old buses. Not ideal.
(02 Sep 2021, 3:19 pm)Rapidsnap wrote GNE prob wouldn't have to make so many cuts if drivers were trying to discourage ridership. One of my friends just had a driver on the 30 saying that him and other drivers think it's a big no-no for him (and other people) to go riding around on buses as there's a pandemic. All he did was wanted a return from Stanley to Lanchester to tick off 6916.
That's a bit alarming if drivers are trying to discourage ridership. The company's message is that it is safe to travel, there's no restrictions on doing so, so their personal opinions shouldn't be coming into play. If someone wants to pay their money to 'tick off' a bus, then that is up to them.