The 'how busy is your bus' thing has been developed further:
https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/innovative...-its-buses

It's already in use at Transdev and attempts to provide more of a 'live' situation as opposed to the trend-based idea we've seen in the first phase.

(10 Jun 2020, 5:15 pm)S813 FVK wrote The 'how busy is your bus' thing has been developed further:
https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/innovative...-its-buses

It's already in use at Transdev and attempts to provide more of a 'live' situation as opposed to the trend-based idea we've seen in the first phase.

Very handy like, shame its not on the actual app.

you beat me to it, was gonna edit my post to include it

(10 Jun 2020, 9:19 am)JP6004 wrote Fleet list updated on GNE site. Surprised to see all but washys omnis not in service

But the 5/50 is Omnicities right now?

(10 Jun 2020, 5:15 pm)S813 FVK wrote The 'how busy is your bus' thing has been developed further:
https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/innovative...-its-buses

It's already in use at Transdev and attempts to provide more of a 'live' situation as opposed to the trend-based idea we've seen in the first phase.

Shame they got rid of the fleet number and now only show the reg now, what would be handy is if they showed the livery of the bus that's actually running. Like if an Angel is running on the X21, someone just looking for the gold bus might let it go past thinking it's just a 21

(10 Jun 2020, 5:20 pm)deanmachine wrote But the 5/50 is Omnicities right now?

Yep those are washys, with a further 4 at PM. Rest not in service

(10 Jun 2020, 5:24 pm)JP6004 wrote Yep those are washys, with a further 4 at PM. Rest not in service

Oh sorry, read it wrong, thought you were saying they weren't on the road lol

(10 Jun 2020, 5:40 pm)deanmachine wrote Oh sorry, read it wrong, thought you were saying they weren't on the road lol

I thought the exact same thing to be honest

(10 Jun 2020, 9:19 am)JP6004 wrote Fleet list updated on GNE site. Surprised to see all but washys omnis not in service

The majority of the remainder will follow suit next week, when scholars services return. Still not all required though.

5272 - 5274 technically shouldn’t be on the road yet (until next Monday) but no harm in running them in, as they’re all taxed and inspected, and ready to go. Should hopefully mean fewer issues on Monday.


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(11 Jun 2020, 6:14 am)Dan wrote The majority of the remainder will follow suit next week, when scholars services return. Still not all required though.

5272 - 5274 technically shouldn’t be on the road yet (until next Monday) but no harm in running them in, as they’re all taxed and inspected, and ready to go. Should hopefully mean fewer issues on Monday.


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I was told a majority of them are now withdrawn fully due to a drop in overall PVR... which ones have been withdrawn?, wouldn't they be better replacing the Scania L94's instead of GNE hanging on the Scania L94's.

A number of interchange, high street and road layouts are being changed by councils over the coming days, starting from Monday 15 June to aid social distancing.

Please double check bus stop, stand and interchange arrangements as many will be subject to short notice change.

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/changes-in...ts-15-june

----------------


Nothing on Eastbound closure of Vine Place and Holmeside in Sunderland City Centre from Friday 12 June 2020 yet - now added!

(03 Jun 2020, 11:11 pm)Storx wrote Just noticed I worded that bad, that was about the short X21's there not the extended runs through to Bishop. It was in reply to the suggestion for them becoming more frequent.

Tbf though it's only extra £200 a year or so to use the train, which takes 15 mins vs 50 mins for the bus. I'd personally happily walk up the hill (you could even cycle, which is handy at both sides) to save an hour sitting on buses which could easily be delayed (less likely on a train) but everyone has there own opinion I suppose and I know it's a popular route as they removed the barriers at Durham because the majority of people come from Newcastle where they'd have their tickets checked to stop the congestion in Durham station.

20 minutes walk from my house to the train station. By the time I've done that I'm already through CLS on the bus.

(11 Jun 2020, 7:11 pm)BusLoverMum wrote 20 minutes walk from my house to the train station. By the time I've done that I'm already through CLS on the bus.

20 minutes later though you'd be in Newcastle on the train whereas only in Low Fell on the bus

Jokes aside, the hill is a bit of a trek though.

(11 Jun 2020, 9:43 pm)Storx wrote 20 minutes later though you'd be in Newcastle on the train whereas only in Low Fell on the bus

Jokes aside, the hill is a bit of a trek though.

It's downhill to get there for me. Uphill home. 

Central Station is a good 10 minutes extra walk to where I want to be in Newcastle compared with Eldon Square bus station. 

Not that I've been to Newcastle for 3 months and I doubt if I will be visiting as long as there's no loos!

Martjin said last night some fleet changes will happen over the weekend, ready for Monday, this is because more school buses are going to be running.

i'm not surprised GNE are losing money. Running the 28b on a Saturday less then 10 minutes before the 29 seems like throwing money away!

(14 Jun 2020, 4:38 pm)Rob44 wrote i'm not surprised GNE are losing money. Running the 28b on a Saturday less then 10 minutes before  the 29 seems like throwing money away!

Don't forget the service levels on a Saturday are a complete mixed bag, predominantly running a normal Sunday service apart from where services do not operate on a Sunday (in which case their normal Saturday timetables have been used instead).

Once level of demand justifies a full, normal, weekend service, these issues will sort themselves out.

yes I get that Dan but running one bus less than 10 minutes behind the the other one (and i know they take slightly different routes ) seems a bit of a especially from a small village like kibblesworth

From todays fleet news:

Similarly, the coaches at Deptford which are normally allocated to the 4274 school service are to be used on ad-hoc private hire/rail replacement work only, with the school service instead operated by Scania L94UB/Wright Solar which have vandal screens for driving colleagues. As such; 5207 (NK54 NVB), 5208 (NK54 NVC) and 5209 (NK54 NVD) have been reinstated at Deptford.

Although it looks like its only for School buses, still good to see them back in service!

Full fleet news:


https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/enthusiast-area

(15 Jun 2020, 11:10 am)Michael wrote From todays fleet news:

Similarly, the coaches at Deptford which are normally allocated to the 4274 school service are to be used on ad-hoc private hire/rail replacement work only, with the school service instead operated by Scania L94UB/Wright Solar which have vandal screens for driving colleagues. As such; 5207 (NK54 NVB), 5208 (NK54 NVC) and 5209 (NK54 NVD) have been reinstated at Deptford.

Although it looks like its only for School buses, still good to see them back in service!

Full fleet news:


https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/enthusiast-area

5208 is currently tracking on BusTimes as operating service 55

(15 Jun 2020, 11:29 am)peter wrote 5208 is currently tracking on BusTimes as operating service 55

That's good, glad they're out and about.

With the announcement that pubs, restaurants etc opening from 4th July, i would expect evening/weekend services to be increased from around the same day.


Wasn't it said that the X20 will continue to Sunderland on a Sunday when the hospitality sector reopened?



Edit: Found the post:


deanmachine

So it does, I was going by depot information, this might just be whilst quarantine is still happening, but our info does say a Sunday X20 service to replace the third 20 an hour.

---
Dan

That's the 'longer term' plan (as well as evenings/Sundays on the 25).

For now we'll be running a Sunday service on a Saturday, and the current emergency timetables on a Sunday, until such a time that demand increases.


https://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showt...p?tid=2465&page=6

[/quote]

Saturdays are already starting to get busy for a Sunday service, the evenings are still dead though. That will change with pubs opening though.

(23 Jun 2020, 7:09 pm)deanmachine wrote Saturdays are already starting to get busy for a Sunday service, the evenings are still dead though. That will change with pubs opening though.

I'm not sure lots of people will be rushing out to the pub by bus - they certainly aren't rushing to shop (by any mode).

(23 Jun 2020, 11:19 pm)busmanT wrote I'm not sure lots of people will be rushing out to the pub by bus - they certainly aren't rushing to shop (by any mode).

Shops seem to have died down again, for the past few weeks supermarkets have been basically dead whenever I've been, after they opened the non essential retail things started to pick up again but now it seems people have got the shopping out of their system and are sat at home again.
Same with the likes of KFC and McDonalds, when KFCs started to reopen the queues were miles long, but after the first week you were lucky if there were 5 cars waiting. McDonalds has been the same as far as I can tell.

So, what I'm imagining is on the first weekend things will be absolutely packed, then by the second weekend things will have died down again.

(23 Jun 2020, 11:19 pm)busmanT wrote I'm not sure lots of people will be rushing out to the pub by bus - they certainly aren't rushing to shop (by any mode).

More working mens clubs and other places that have plenty of concessionary pass patrons I was thinking of.

(24 Jun 2020, 12:53 am)streetdeckfan wrote Same with the likes of KFC and McDonalds, when KFCs started to reopen the queues were miles long, but after the first week you were lucky if there were 5 cars waiting. McDonalds has been the same as far as I can tell.

So, what I'm imagining is on the first weekend things will be absolutely packed, then by the second weekend things will have died down again.

The thing with drive-thru fast food is that, while undoubtedly it's a bit quieter than the first few days, it's a completely different way of working for those on the inside. The shorter queues are likely a combination of both slightly fewer customers but also big increases in how efficient the staff are being with the new systems. Obviously with other industries there's not an awful lot of efficiency improvements - or at least not that will have a huge impact on queue speed. 

With pubs, I think we'll see a more prolonged period of them being busy. Lots of people will miss the first weekend as it's likely to be utter carnage, but return over the following few weeks and give the pubs a more sustained level of custom.

(24 Jun 2020, 10:24 am)mb134 wrote The thing with drive-thru fast food is that, while undoubtedly it's a bit quieter than the first few days, it's a completely different way of working for those on the inside. The shorter queues are likely a combination of both slightly fewer customers but also big increases in how efficient the staff are being with the new systems. Obviously with other industries there's not an awful lot of efficiency improvements - or at least not that will have a huge impact on queue speed. 

With pubs, I think we'll see a more prolonged period of them being busy. Lots of people will miss the first weekend as it's likely to be utter carnage, but return over the following few weeks and give the pubs a more sustained level of custom.

No doubt, honestly I don't understand people's need to go to the pub, the only reason I ever went was for pub quiz, but I could happily live without it. Even more so with nightclubs, a year or two back I reluctantly agreed to go out with a few friends for a birthday as I wanted to see how bad it really was. As someone who doesn't really drink other than the occasional bottle of wine and hates loud music (if we can even call it music) I found it quite fascinating just standing in the corner watching.

(24 Jun 2020, 11:21 am)streetdeckfan wrote No doubt, honestly I don't understand people's need to go to the pub, the only reason I ever went was for pub quiz, but I could happily live without it. Even more so with nightclubs, a year or two back I reluctantly agreed to go out with a few friends for a birthday as I wanted to see how bad it really was. As someone who doesn't really drink other than the occasional bottle of wine and hates loud music (if we can even call it music) I found it quite fascinating just standing in the corner watching.

To be social, have a good night out, pi** our wages up the wall on drink and random snacks?

(24 Jun 2020, 11:29 am)Michael wrote To be social, have a good night out, pi** our wages up the wall on drink and random snacks?

The only way I can see it being a 'good' night out is if the drinking isn't the main thing you're doing, pub quiz for example, I go there for the quiz, not the pub.
If you're going out to meet friends, does it really have to be at a pub? Can it not be going for a walk, sitting in the park playing a game of scrabble?

Plus, with the restrictions lifted, you're only allowed to meet indoors with one other household, so it's not as if you can meet with all your friends for a drink, unless it's outdoors. At which point, why not just meet in the garden

(24 Jun 2020, 11:43 am)streetdeckfan wrote The only way I can see it being a 'good' night out is if the drinking isn't the main thing you're doing, pub quiz for example, I go there for the quiz, not the pub.
If you're going out to meet friends, does it really have to be at a pub? Can it not be going for a walk, sitting in the park playing a game of scrabble?

Plus, with the restrictions lifted, you're only allowed to meet indoors with one other household, so it's not as if you can meet with all your friends for a drink, unless it's outdoors. At which point, why not just meet in the garden

Or you can do both?, go for a walk with friends and then go to the pub?, i love to do both.

Don't get me wrong though, its not like i was out every week at the pub before Covid , I'd rather drink in the garden or someones house, but if someone says, "let's go to the pub", it's normally a yes from me .