Nexus Tenders - May 2021
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08 May 2021, 7:16 am,
Post: #61
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Nexus Tenders - May 2021
(08 May 2021, 6:59 am)Rob44 wrote Playing devil's advocate ( and no i don't work for Nexus or GCT) haven't other bus companies in the regions won contacts then got another company to do them? Im thinking metro replacement? As a taxpayer I also like to see value for money. Sadly I’d say Gateshead Central Taxis being paid to run services that they don’t operate does not represent good value for money. I have heard their buses now have posters apologising for missing buses and gaps in service, stating they are not liable and it is due to staff and vehicle shortages. That hardly instils confidence in public transport and is quite damaging in the wider context of building back buses better. Their investment into new buses over the last year or two is commendable, as is the investment into better specification buses (high back seats, USB charging points etc) but sadly constant suggestion that they aren’t running their contracts as they should be means that their investments are often overlooked. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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08 May 2021, 7:33 am,
Post: #62
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
(08 May 2021, 7:16 am)Dan wrote As a taxpayer I also like to see value for money. Sadly I’d say Gateshead Central Taxis being paid to run services that they don’t operate does not represent good value for money.Then the big questions is why do nexus give them contacts. There giving more contracts to them and they haven't got the buses or drivers. It's no wonder L&B are having to run the SNS contract on there behalf. Even the Ferry Replacement contract. God knows why GNE lost that |
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08 May 2021, 11:00 am,
Post: #63
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
(08 May 2021, 7:16 am)Dan wrote I have heard their buses now have posters apologising for missing buses and gaps in service, stating they are not liable and it is due to staff and vehicle shortages. Even this is ridiculous. Vehicle and staff shortages are directly the fault of the company. Don't apply for contracts which you don't have the assets to operate, and provide a better work environment so your staff stay/new ones join. |
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08 May 2021, 11:03 am,
Post: #64
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Nexus Tenders - May 2021
I’m all in favour giving the secured contracts to independents rather than the daytime operator, why should the taxpayer pay for the same bus company to operate the evening service etc.. while there operate the daytime service commercially, what happened a few years ago when northern said that there will start operating some secured services commercially again. (probably because there didn’t want another big operator to run them secured) didn’t GNE started to take on some east Durham network commercially as Arriva were one step away of winning the contracts?
I wonder how much incentives and grants did northern get from the government to purchase adl’s and streetdecks Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk (08 May 2021, 11:00 am)mb134 wrote Even this is ridiculous. Vehicle and staff shortages are directly the fault of the company. Don't apply for contracts which you don't have the assets to operate, and provide a better work environment so your staff stay/new ones join. Didn’t Northern win some contracts and contracted them out to independent operators? There’s to many negatives on here towards GCT, whining about it on this forum isn’t going to solve the problem Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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08 May 2021, 11:08 am,
Post: #65
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
(08 May 2021, 11:03 am)cbma06 wrote I’m all in favour giving the secured contracts to independents rather than the daytime operator, why should the taxpayer pay for the same bus company to operate the evening service etc.. while there operate the daytime service commercially, what happened a few years ago when northern said that there will start operating some secured services commercially again. (probably because there didn’t want another big operator to run them secured) didn’t GNE started to take on some east Durham network commercially as Arriva were one step away of winning the contracts? If the daytime operator offers the best value to the local authority, then why shouldn't they be given the contract to operate the evening/Sunday service, just because they have decided it isn't commercially viable and the local authority has deemed it an essential service? Go North East paid for their new ADL Enviro400s and Wright StreetDecks commercially. They did not receive any incentives or grants from government. (08 May 2021, 11:03 am)cbma06 wrote Didn’t Northern win some contracts and contracted them out to independent operators? Yes, although this has only really been common over the last twelve months and Go North East was open and honest about why it sub-contracted them out in the press release below: https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/go-north-e...-operators It wasn't because the company was unable to run the contract entirely of its own accord, it was to share the extra work with local SME coach operators who were particularly financially impacted as a result of Covid-19. Prior to this, it was fairly uncommon for Go North East to sub-contract out any extra work such as Metro Replacement. |
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08 May 2021, 11:44 am,
Post: #66
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
(08 May 2021, 11:00 am)mb134 wrote Even this is ridiculous. Vehicle and staff shortages are directly the fault of the company. Don't apply for contracts which you don't have the assets to operate, and provide a better work environment so your staff stay/new ones join.Nexus won't stop giving them contact because they put the bid in. I'd be very very surprised we see GCT metro replacement sometime. Then again that will go to L&B as well |
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08 May 2021, 12:36 pm,
Post: #67
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
(14 Mar 2021, 5:10 pm)Dan wrote Nexus has invited operators to tender for a number of new contracts, which would commence operation from 16 May 2021. So I take it, apart from the 79 and 79A going to Gateshead Central Taxi's, that the other services are remaining the same?
Ooo Friend, Bus Friend.
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08 May 2021, 4:00 pm,
Post: #68
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
(08 May 2021, 7:33 am)Micheal Aaron wrote Then the big questions is why do nexus give them contacts. There giving more contracts to them and they haven't got the buses or drivers. It's no wonder L&B are having to run the SNS contract on there behalf. Even the Ferry Replacement contract. God knows why GNE lost that The simple answer is money isn't it? Public purse is empty, LAs (who fund Nexus) are skint, so they are going for cheapest which inevitably will mean a bit of a race to the bottom. Under procurement law Nexus will have to go by what is in the tenders and if GCT say they can do it for X price, and demonstrte sufficently how that will be done, they would have to award based on scoring of bids. If GCT know they can still make money by winning contract and then subcontracting; and assuming the contracts allow for subcontracting, arguably what is wrong with this approach? The bigger question is, if all of this happens and the operator then fails to deliver, why are they not performance managing the contract, issuing penalties etc - if indeed they are not. The points about general risk of putting all of your tendered eggs in one basket are surely something nexus ought to be considering though...wonder what their contingency plans are if GCT go bust etc. In terms of the criticism of GCT as an operator and their fleet, to the avergae punter, is the accessible bus provided by GCT really that much different to the easy access bus provided by another operator? I read comments somewhere about GCT buses being an embarrassment and held together by duct tape, yet there's at least one of GNEs Streetlites with tape all over the front of it in frontline service, and least said about the state of some of Arriva's fleet the better. |
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09 May 2021, 6:42 am,
Post: #69
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
i get the feeling the some people on here would like NECUS to bot allow GCT to run any route. I am sure they wont be happy if that happens and ANE, GNE Stagecoach start running them at a much higher price meaning some services have to go and taxes go up ( for those who pay it! ) There is no magical money tree as someone once said!
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09 May 2021, 6:57 am,
Post: #70
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Nexus Tenders - May 2021
(09 May 2021, 6:42 am)Rob44 wrote i get the feeling the some people on here would like NECUS to bot allow GCT to run any route. I am sure they wont be happy if that happens and ANE, GNE Stagecoach start running them at a much higher price meaning some services have to go and taxes go up ( for those who pay it! ) There is no magical money tree as someone once said! A cynic would suggest that Gateshead Central Taxis can offer such low prices because they do not run the contracts as they should. False economy for the winning bid to be cheaper, if it comes at the expense of the contract not running as it was tendered. I think what most people want is for Gateshead Central Taxis to operate the contracts as Nexus have tendered them - ie, no repeated missing journeys on the same contracts, time and time again - and for action to be taken if this does happen (which we know it does). I suspect as enthusiasts we don’t really care who runs the contract as long as it does actually run. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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09 May 2021, 8:45 am,
Post: #71
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
(09 May 2021, 6:57 am)Dan wrote A cynic would suggest that Gateshead Central Taxis can offer such low prices because they do not run the contracts as they should. False economy for the winning bid to be cheaper, if it comes at the expense of the contract not running as it was tendered. Looking at the comments and rhetoric on here towards GCT over the years versus that of the operators who can do no wrong - I think you're barking up the wrong tree with that one. 'Illegitimis non carborundum'
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09 May 2021, 10:42 am,
Post: #72
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Nexus Tenders - May 2021
(09 May 2021, 8:45 am)Andreos1 wrote Looking at the comments and rhetoric on here towards GCT over the years versus that of the operators who can do no wrong - I think you're barking up the wrong tree with that one. My question to you, if that’s what you believe, is why other independent operators such as JH Coaches and Stanley Travel don’t receive anywhere near as much criticism as Gateshead Central Taxis. They have been awarded contracts previously ran by ‘operators who can do no wrong’. Surely the difference is the perception that Gateshead Central Taxis don’t fulfil their contractual obligations..? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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09 May 2021, 11:04 am,
Post: #73
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
I think people just want GCT to do better
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09 May 2021, 11:34 am,
Post: #74
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Nexus Tenders - May 2021
(09 May 2021, 11:04 am)Micheal Aaron wrote I think people just want GCT to do better I think a lot of people want GCT to fold and have no contracts at all and have GNE to do all the contracts in the north east Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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09 May 2021, 11:43 am,
Post: #75
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
I think its more to do with the quality rather than anything else
Kind Regards
Tez |
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09 May 2021, 12:04 pm,
Post: #76
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
(09 May 2021, 10:42 am)Dan wrote My question to you, if that’s what you believe, is why other independent operators such as JH Coaches and Stanley Travel don’t receive anywhere near as much criticism as Gateshead Central Taxis. They have been awarded contracts previously ran by ‘operators who can do no wrong’. I'm the wrong person to ask on that one. You need to be asking the people who post about them regularly. Purely based on the comments seen previously, people seem to have issues with vehicles types, the on-board equipment (or lack of) or lack of integrated ticketing. In addition to boards not running. We all know that GCT aren't unique in not being able to fulfil contracts 100% of the time. We've seen commercial operators failing to fulfil some of their commercial work too. We also know we wouldn't be having this conversation if some of the larger operators didn't go home early on an evening and ran these routes on an evening and Sunday. 'Illegitimis non carborundum'
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09 May 2021, 12:51 pm,
Post: #77
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
(09 May 2021, 6:57 am)Dan wrote A cynic would suggest that Gateshead Central Taxis can offer such low prices because they do not run the contracts as they should. False economy for the winning bid to be cheaper, if it comes at the expense of the contract not running as it was tendered. I'm an equal opportunity complainer, if I have an issue with GNE I'll be sure to bring it up. Equally, if GCT did their job and ran the buses properly, I wouldn't have anything to complain about. Similarly, as much as I love a good whinge about the state of Arriva's fleet (and some of their drivers), you won't hear me complaining about their services. |
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09 May 2021, 1:30 pm,
Post: #78
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
I just think gct are growing bigger and taken over contract that people use quite a bit and get annoyed when that service is A late and b have buses missing or the service doesn't run at all
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09 May 2021, 1:40 pm,
Post: #79
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
(09 May 2021, 12:04 pm)Andreos1 wrote We all know that GCT aren't unique in not being able to fulfil contracts 100% of the time. We've seen commercial operators failing to fulfil some of their commercial work too. I suppose the difference between Gateshead Central Taxis and commercial operators, is that it's easier for customers to identify when commercial operators don't fulfil their contracts and/or commercial work, as they offer live tracking on mobile apps, and have social media pages where service updates are added during times of service disruption. For their commercial work, services are much more frequent than contracts, which run far less often and could cause more inconvenience to intending passengers if they do not operate (on-time or at all). Of course, if Gateshead Central Taxis had fulfilled their BODS requirements on-time, this possibly wouldn't be the case... |
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09 May 2021, 2:43 pm,
Post: #80
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RE: Nexus Tenders - May 2021
Let’s be honest here, nobody outside this group cares about the missed mileage, vehicle presentation or awful on board musical choices.
And why? Because these are barely used tendered routes used by low socio economic folk and of no economic value to anyone. They could complain but the routes are a nuisance, they don’t generate enough profit and in honesty the users are less likely to vocalise their complain. It’s not right but it’s a sad truth.
Wistfully stuck in the 90s
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