(25 Aug 2014, 1:39 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote I've come to a conclusion about the 308 and GNE's 21 after seeing three (2 x 308's and 1x 21) running late. Basically, as well as commuter buses, they're also in a sense tourist and one off buses where many people use them more than other routes for social and pleasure purposes rather than mostly domestic purposes particularly off peak and even more so on weekends and bank holidays. This in turn means that passenger numbers are higher and more cash fares have to be processed and to make it worse not to the fault of the customer not knowing the fares, drivers also have to spend time giving change. Here's what I suggest:
- No return fares and instead, replaced by clearly publicised and easy to understand fare zone stages a bit like the Metro with the option to purchase single or
day savers for either route according to how many zones are required.
- Exact fare only for Network One day tickets, Coorporate wide day tickets (tripple on Arriva and Buzzfare on GNE), Get Around (Go North East), Teen Card (Arriva), Nexus CAT and the single and daysaver options.
What are you going to achieve from the first point? Customers don't know the fares because operators don't publish them. Both ANE and GNE have their own fare zone based products, and the Angel saver in GNE's case. Why complicate matters by bringing out yet another day saver?
On your second point. How many people are going to have exact fare for a £6.90 day rover or £9.50 explorer? I'd say it's perfectly acceptable to expect the operator to provide you change out of £10 for either ticket, as it's more than 60% of both fares. Same with CAT tickets. Most people wanting a 90p ticket are going to pay with a £1 coin.. Why should the customers be punished if the timetables aren't fit for demand?
I think perhaps you're basing your opinion here on a bank holiday solely. On Sunday, I know from experience that the 21s tend to run without issue. Monday-Friday they do suffer, but it's not because it's a 'tourist one off bus'. Very few people probably get off/on at the Angel of the North from what I see?? It tends to be the Low Fell section of the route, which has been a nightmare for at least the last 20 years!