(11 Jul 2022, 6:58 pm)Adrian it. wrote The 'active regulation' line on the 21 came from a Martijn Gilbert tweet. My own experience of the 21 in recent weeks is that there's no active regulation, or if there is, it just isn't working effectively for customers. From the outside looking in, it feels like there's no plan B.
I agree though, it's simply not good enough. It's been going on far too long, and I think the industry needs to have a serious debate about why they struggle to recruit and retain drivers.
It's like they don't want to admit there are cancellations for the 21 in advance with it being "flagship" route in fear of driving customers away so instead are using lines such as 'active regulation' and 'long gaps in service due to operational issues' but what use is that to passengers.
If services are being 'regulated', aka curtailed at gateshead, then why isn't that information being given to passengers on the app if it is happening during service. Alternatively if they know services are not going to run like with every other route then tell passengers.
Surely they must realise they are more likely to have someone look elsewhere in future if they have to wait 30 minutes for a bus that should be every 10 minutes than if they tell passengers that there will be a 30 minute gap in advance so they can plan their journey accordingly.