RE: Go North East: Service Suggestions v2
(30 Jun 2021, 12:10 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote The little pinks network is fine at the moment. I would potentally extend the 55 to serve Biddick (Parkway) and Harraton (San Lorenzo, Bonemill Lane)
I disagree with you there. The Little Pinks network is clearly designed around operational efficiency, rather than the customer. There are still a number of issues that exist from when the Galleries split first happened.
The Galleries terminus still allows through-fares, but it is not possible to get a return fare, other than from Concord. For example, the 84 becomes an 82 at the Galleries and continues to Birtley, but on the return leg, that 82 becomes an 83 at the Galleries and serves a completely different set of stops between the Galleries and Concord. As there's no route saver tickets available, nor an area saver that covers the whole route, it leaves you needing a Purple Zone Go Zones ticket to cover the return journey via 3 buses.
Despite the through-journeys still existing, they are no longer advertised on the GNE timetable and have never been shown on the bus stop timetables
(Nexus advised me that it wasn't possible, as they print timetables to the same standard throughout the network). So only those with knowledge of the services will know they don't have to get onto another bus at the Galleries. This isn't helpful to customers, especially those that infrequently use buses.
(30 Jun 2021, 10:40 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote Not round the back in biddick since the 180 & 493 were withdrawn and nothing on bonemill lane since the 393 was axed, you could also include rickleton way (293) & Cambrian Way (148). I'm just trying to cover every basis.
(01 Jul 2021, 10:03 am)Andreos1 wrote Always get mixed up with the 2/2a. Are they not circulars any more?
Unless I need to get off on a unique section (and check with the driver if it goes to Shiney or not), I tend to just board whichever version comes first.
The loop roads are funny things. Apart from Fallowfield Way and the back of Barmston, I'm not sure of any that have suitable places to stop. Hail & ride or otherwise.
There's either bends or some sort of camber on most of the ones I can think of.
I agree that it should be an option. But whether it could be or not, not sure.
2/2A were removed from being circulars not long after they started iirc, as it was originally the 2A(nti-clockwise) and 2C(lockwise)
I believe the 493 served the bus link, rather than round the back of Parkway. I think the 297(?) was the last bus to serve the route on a hail and ride basis, but to be honest its not even suitable for that. All the verges at the side of the road are sloped and its one big bend to drive round. Despite being hail and ride, the bus was supposed to stop at the far end of the loop before it returns back on itself, but quite often you'd get someone hitting the bell just after the Titchfield Road junction and the drivers refusing to stop again until the next actual stop - which was Biddick School at the time.