(13 Jan 2015, 4:28 pm)Dan wrote There's a reason why Go North East is operating the services now... Because the independents couldn't manage!

Exactly, so GNE should be able to manage perfectly. I know im kind of going back on a previous point about the Independents being able manage but in a way, Stanley Travel operated the service for at least 5 years. 5 years of free bus passes (going to integrate a question into this: Do the council pay for OAP's or any free bus pass holders fare? I should know the answer to this [yes because my free travel to school is funded for by the council] but i just want somebody elses thought on the subject) to realise that the service is no longer able to be operated well? 
My suggestion for why Stanley Travel couldnt operate the services anymore is the fact that they were using OO03 STX which is essentially a high floor vehicle as the chances of them using the side ramp in the middle of a route being unlikely. Climbing up a step would put me off and probably put them passengers off aswell and this would probably lose custom to GNE anyway. Thats probably the only reason why this particular Independent struggled to manage the service for longer than they did. Hunters is probably the same, all they used was Mercedes Varios.