(22 Jan 2022, 5:57 pm)Adrian wrote I agree. If the operator is happy to leave people high and dry, I don't know why a public body should step in.

I know they've made clear that they're running these timetables on a temporary basis "in light of ongoing staffing challenges", but it should have been seen as vital that a customer service presence is available across all channels. Nobody in bus stations, no one on the phone and no one covering Social Media. Customers are being left high and dry.

I was at Park Lane yesterday morning around 11am and there was a Go North East bus station supervisor present as well as a Nexus bus station supervisor - not sure if both were on their breaks at the time 54APhotography was at Park Lane or dealing with something else in the bus station, but both were definitely present. Additional supervisors employed by Go North East have been in place at all major bus stations now for a couple of months, in order to provide additional support and guidance, to both customers and the driving team.

A couple of weeks ago when the reduced service levels were first brought in, I noticed that Go North East had printed a poster and placed this on each stand at Park Lane, with guidance on which services were running Sunday timetables. Can't recall from being in Park Lane yesterday whether they were still there or not.

It goes without saying that there's more that could, and should, be done - but customers aren't being left completely hung out to dry as has been suggested in a couple of the recent posts on this thread.

(22 Jan 2022, 11:39 pm)Ambassador wrote Someone needs a bollocking for today and it might seem minor in the scale of things but…how many folk have been driven to taxis or lifts as a result of the issues in Sunderland?

I used Go North East buses in Sunderland yesterday, both before and after the match, and had absolutely no trouble. Buses were busier than usual, but it was no where near the carnage that is being alluded here... Or perhaps I got lucky.