There's a real danger here of looking at Go North East's challenges in a silo. Yes, there's absolutely things that they could change as a company, but at the same time, there's things that are completely outside of their control; yet impact the markets that they operate within.

The current market for bus services in England is completely broken. It has been in decline for decades, and I think that without having two years of a pandemic, we'd still be in this position by 2025. The pandemic has merely accelerated the decline.

The poor funding formulas for Concessionary Travel and for Bus Service Operators Grant, combined with car ownership being more and more affordable, even to younger people, has led to a perfect storm.

Then when local authority cash started to dry up from 2010, and value for money was the aim of the game for secured services, it removed a level of guaranteed income from the big three - who would generally still operate services that they chucked back.

Of course, the funding formulas are completely outside of any operators control, as is car ownership, but this is an operating market that the major operators created. Largely in the years post-deregulation, when they ran their businesses as if it were the Wild West.

It's a market that wants to be a public service, but with none of the responsibilities. It shows why running a public service on a commercial basis doesn't work and it cannot work, and it's why margin has always grown or been maintained at the expense of less profitable services.

Looking at some of the points raised here...

Network Development and Stability
I think the absolute priority at the moment needs to be on network development and the stability of the network, but Go North East's network is only a part of that.

Of course, Go North East have not been great for years now in the changes to their network. The debacle with the never-ending North Sunderland estate changes, or the continuing saga with Washington local services, are prime examples of what discourages people from using public transport.

Every other day that I've been on the new 84/85 since the changes, fellow customers are completely baffled by them, and can't understand why the 85 goes a completely different way than it did the week before. It's just one example, but it stinks of a change being made by someone who doesn't understand that part of the network, whether that be the case or not.

Stagecoach for example are regularly commended for their networks and the stability of them. They've very much taken a low risk approach, but at the same time, will be ruthless enough to cut anything that impacts their margin.

But for me, if we're being serious about having a public transport network that works, then it needs to be one network. Encompassing all modes of public transport.

It shouldn't be a network designed by people looking at maps in an office, but should instead be properly considered, built on the needs of residents and have a complete understanding of the markets that they serve.

The North East Transport Plan looked at what users thought of the public transport network, and found that there are four key themes that are important to residents when travelling across the region:
• Connectivity and ease of movement
• Health, wellbeing and safety
• Sustainability
• Value for money

On connectivity, the plan suggests that residents feel this is "very important to people of the North East" and that "better public transport connectivity is needed, particularly in rural areas." It also makes the sensible suggestion that "new developments and neighbourhoods could be designed so that they are less car reliant."

On value for money especially, it reports that "residents feel that public transport fares are expensive and it is perceived to be cheaper to travel by car." and that an "integrated public transport network across the region would provide better value for money."

When you read that, compared to the reality, you almost get the feeling that we're working backwards here. We've spent time, effort and money commissioning a report, consultation and drawing up a plan, then not bothering to work to it. But it comes back to funding.

Marketing and Branding
Starting with the latter first, but I'm now firmly of the belief that branding is a money pit and has no impact on growing bus use. I don't even think this is a Go North East issue, but whilst we're seeing some operators move away from it, we're still seeing GNE and others throw money at everyone's favourite design agency.

We hear a lot about Social Media influencers these days, and it doesn't matter whether it be whoever from Love Island, Geordie Shore or a member of the 10% club, it's all the same. They're promoting what they want you to believe, not what the reality is.

Xlines, despite being probably the only brand that I think has a place these days, is in decline. How many services have been cut since it's inception?

I'd personally scrap all branding* and have a clear livery that everyone understands is a public service bus, and one that they can use. The only exception to that would be for genuine express services - and it's why I think Xlines has a place.

In terms of marketing, Go North East do a hell of a lot more than most and there's some really good examples of it, e.g. Voltra, which I found effective. But maybe that's the problem? I found it effective, but I'm already engaged as a bus user. Why aren't car users finding it effective enough to make the switch?

I know that some on here believe that Go North East's Commercial Team is the root of all evil, yet at the same time possesses a magic wand to fix everything, but we really need to start looking at this more objectively rather than making indirect attacks at individuals.

IMO, marketing should be understood and ran centrally, for one unified transport network. Not the current situation of four major operators trying to tell you they're better than the other. That's just the start though, and it'd only work with having a marketing strategy that understands the reasons why people don't use buses.

Staffing
Most operators are struggling to get and retain drivers for love nor money these days, and there's a two key factors to it for me.

Renumeration - What a driver gets paid is always going to be a key factor in recruiting and retaining them. Given the responsibilities and compared to similar jobs, drivers on the most part underpaid for their work. It's also created an environment where drivers will hop around companies for 50p more an hour or whatever, which offers nothing in terms of stability. There's very little loyalty, and I don't think operators should expect it, with the watering down of pay and terms in the years following privatisation.

I do think that there's a genuine issue here though. If operators are proving unable to grow their business, then the cost of improving pay and terms has to come from cost savings, because that margin and wedge for the shareholders will always be maintained in the cut-throat world of capitalism. Is it unique to GNE? No. Is it going to change in the current operating market? Unlikely. So it comes back to the model being broken and the need for properly funded public transport.

Working conditions - These are well within Go North East's control, and there's always improvements that can be made. Most of these again aren't unique to GNE, but for example, how many times have we heard of the blame culture in the bus industry, or how poor the shifts and hours are?

As DeltaMan has said above, chopping and changing shifts every few weeks 100% contributes to drivers leaving, so why aren't we doing something about it? Why don't operators consult with their drivers on working patterns and shifts, and come up with something that works for both.

Customer Service and Social Media
Most operators, including Go North East, have cut down to an extremely limited customer services offering. An inability to contact all three major operators, during their operating hours, is problematic and not customer friendly in the slightest. GNE and Stagecoach, to their credit, have still kept local teams to perform this role close to their networks, whereas others have centralised as a cost-saving exercise. This could still be vastly improved, and ensuring that key bus stations are staffed is a must for me.

I agree with Ambassador's comments on Social Media, but again, I don't think GNE are alone here. Most bus operators that I see have absolutely dire platforms on Social Media, but that's not necessarily a training issue. Many companies will set standards on how they want their social platforms ran. LNER, for example, are quite laid back and engaging with customers. I think we can also learn lessons from the way the RMT have ran their social media during their rail dispute.

Whilst there's improvements to be made in both areas, do we think it has a massive influence on people using services? I'd personally suggest not.

In closing, I think there's a lot of points to consider, but at the same time need to acknowledge it's not solely a Go North East issue. GNE have jumped first on a lot of things, but it's just highlighting how broken the market is and why we need proper funding model for public transport and especially buses.

It feels like a lifetime ago now, but I remember the faces of thunder in the front row at Newcastle Civic Centre when the then Integrated Transport Authority gave it's approval to proceed with a move towards introducing Quality Contracts; and the fierce opposition that followed. Stagecoach, I recall, threatening to sack all their workforce rather than let QCS run.

The rest is obviously history now, but given the situation that operators are finding themselves in nowadays; both Go Ahead and Stagecoach going through the process of sales, two operators going bust, and another bought out in the last week alone, I'd suggest that any serious Managing Director would jump at the chance of being in a regulated or franchised market now...