(18 May 2020, 8:01 pm)LeeCalder wrote First 82 of the day, and the incorrect route taken in Barley Mow, missing out bus stops.Not to be funny, but did you honestly expect it to be any different?
One of which someone was at.
First two days and we’ve had a no-show, and three take an incorrect route.
(18 May 2020, 7:22 pm)Dan wrote If the company doesn't provide a float but are required to give change, then shouldn't they be sourcing their own? I know many well-prepared drivers at larger operators tend to provide their own float, over and above the company allocated float.GNE drivers get £20 as you know, I tend to carry £5-£10 extra depending on how much I've been dipping into it at the coffee machine [emoji16]
(18 May 2020, 8:03 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Not to be funny, but did you honestly expect it to be any different?
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(18 May 2020, 8:14 pm)LeeCalder wrote No I didn’t. But what different should that make to a regular passenger.Exactly my point. The fact is GCT are well known for doing this time and time again, and yet they keep getting awarded contracts.
Try telling that to Val stood at the bus stop waiting for it.
So, not to be funny, but the service should be reliable regardless.
(18 May 2020, 7:39 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Don't GCT use Ticketer machines?
I'd imagine it would be relatively simple for them to set up contactless payments, so I'd imagine it's purely down to the ~2-3% transaction fee that they're not taking them.
(18 May 2020, 7:39 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Don't GCT use Ticketer machines?
I'd imagine it would be relatively simple for them to set up contactless payments, so I'd imagine it's purely down to the ~2-3% transaction fee that they're not taking them.
(18 May 2020, 8:53 pm)park5354 wrote correct.Just goes to show how Nexus are so far removed from the outside world. In today's world where contactless payments are the norm across all aspects of paying for goods and services, surely this should be in the spec for the tender.
(19 May 2020, 6:32 am)citaro5284 wrote Just goes to show how Nexus are so far removed from the outside world. In today's world where contactless payments are the norm across all aspects of paying for goods and services, surely this should be in the spec for the tender.
(19 May 2020, 8:13 am)LeeCalder wrote I've raised a few concerns with Nexus this morning, highly unimpressed.Just out of curiosity, what route did they take through Barley Mow?
20:28 82 from Birtley incorrect route through Barley Mow
21:32 82 to Birtley came flying through Barley Mow at 21:37, two minutes before it should have left the timing point in Ayton (with 81 Galleries on the blind as well)
21:28 82 from Birtley, again incorrect route through Barley Mow
22:32 to Birtley, 84 Galleries on the blind
23:28 from Birtley incorrect route through Barley Mow
Then the 23:32 from Galleries comes flying through Barley Mow with no interior lights on, and NIS on the blind.
What a fabulous start.
(19 May 2020, 7:44 am)Andreos1 wrote That 2/3% could make the difference between GCT running the service and making enough to get by or the margins being so tight, that it's not viable and they need to change their operating model.
All of a sudden, they're going to be putting in similar bids to the bigger boys - which then defeats the point of the tendering process.
I'm not GCT's biggest fan at all, but admire what they have achieved over a pretty short space of time. They do things differently to the bigger operators and that's what works for them and probably the taxpayer too.
It might be inconvenient for the passenger, but then it also is inconvenient when the bigger operators decide to go home early and stop playing for the night.
We need to remember that passengers, taxpayers, GCT and Nexus wouldn't be faced with these issues, if the bigger boys decided to play out a little longer on an evening.
(18 May 2020, 8:52 pm)Jimmi wrote They can scan concession passes and the like but not Contactless (the one's I'm talking about).
(18 May 2020, 8:54 pm)streetdeckfan wrote The technology between the two is the same, so 'in theory' it would just be a software upgrade rather than a hardware limitation
(19 May 2020, 10:41 am)Adrian wrote This is the thing though, it should be spec'd in the tender. Not down to an operator to decide not to provide something.
We should be making bus travel attractive, and Nexus (as the operational front of the ITA), have a key role to play in that. It's not just down to the big three operators. Arguably contactless payment, especially in the current climate, makes bus travel more attractive. It provides passenger choice, and it likely creates bus journeys that wouldn't otherwise be made - people not having change, cash on them, etc.
The 2%-3% extra (per transaction) should be more than covered by the 2% increase in BSOG rate (smart card incentive), on top of the standard BSOG payment. They're also getting an extra 6p/km for using LCEB certified buses.
(19 May 2020, 11:31 am)streetdeckfan wrote Is it Nexus or GCT that sets ticket prices on contracted service, and are they similar to what GNE charges on their journeys during the day? I don't know about anyone else, but I'd be happy with a 10p increase in ticket prices to cover the cost to use contactless
I rarely even carry cash now, on occasions I may have some notes, but certainly not coins. So the fact that they don't offer contactless payments, and don't give change (whether it's a company policy or not is irrelevant, if I board the bus and they say I won't get change, I'm getting back off) means I'd be finding another way to travel.
When was the last time you went in to a shop and they didn't take contactless? Even market stalls do, so it's crazy to think they don't.
(19 May 2020, 8:13 am)LeeCalder wrote I've raised a few concerns with Nexus this morning, highly unimpressed.
20:28 82 from Birtley incorrect route through Barley Mow
21:32 82 to Birtley came flying through Barley Mow at 21:37, two minutes before it should have left the timing point in Ayton (with 81 Galleries on the blind as well)
21:28 82 from Birtley, again incorrect route through Barley Mow
22:32 to Birtley, 84 Galleries on the blind
23:28 from Birtley incorrect route through Barley Mow
Then the 23:32 from Galleries comes flying through Barley Mow with no interior lights on, and NIS on the blind.
What a fabulous start.
(19 May 2020, 10:41 am)Adrian wrote This is the thing though, it should be spec'd in the tender. Not down to an operator to decide not to provide something.
We should be making bus travel attractive, and Nexus (as the operational front of the ITA), have a key role to play in that. It's not just down to the big three operators. Arguably contactless payment, especially in the current climate, makes bus travel more attractive. It provides passenger choice, and it likely creates bus journeys that wouldn't otherwise be made - people not having change, cash on them, etc.
The 2%-3% extra (per transaction) should be more than covered by the 2% increase in BSOG rate (smart card incentive), on top of the standard BSOG payment. They're also getting an extra 6p/km for using LCEB certified buses.
(19 May 2020, 12:32 pm)LeeCalder wrote Straight along Coniston/Garsdale in Vigo, missing out The Drive, the down Kentmere and left at Barley Mow Club, missing out Bedford Avenue.
(19 May 2020, 8:56 pm)6049 wrote If one of the parts of the bid is does the bus have high spec features such as NSAs, Wi-Fi, charging ports etc; surely does it have contactless should be a higher priority to judge. As has been mentioned previously, many people now don't carry cash. If GNE offer contactless as standard (and have been for a number of years now) throughout the day, I can see confusion and issues developing for passengers and drivers when the service is ran by an operator without these features.
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(27 May 2020, 1:33 pm)park5354 wrote Apparantly, GNE were still operating their 39's at night last week.
GNE were also seen running their Covid19 times on 11/19/41/42/42A at night last week.