I have been on the Coast & Country, CityRider 56, Prince Bishops and various other 15' & 16' plate Streetlites, not once since Sept 2020 have I been on not once has their been working chargers.

(12 Nov 2021, 10:02 pm)Keeiajs wrote I have been on the Coast & Country, CityRider 56, Prince Bishops and various other 15' & 16' plate Streetlites, not once since Sept 2020 have I been on not once has their been working chargers.

I was on a refurbed TVT today and guess what, the sockets didn't work!

To be fair, I remember getting them when they were brand new and they didn't work then either so it's nowt new!

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

(12 Nov 2021, 10:02 pm)Keeiajs wrote I have been on the Coast & Country, CityRider 56, Prince Bishops and various other 15' & 16' plate Streetlites, not once since Sept 2020 have I been on not once has their been working chargers.

I have been on various 15' & 16' plate Streetlites too.
Not once since 2015 have I been on on where there's been working chargers.

(12 Nov 2021, 10:18 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I was on a refurbed TVT today and guess what, the sockets didn't work!

To be fair, I remember getting them when they were brand new and they didn't work then either so it's nowt new!

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

It does seem the 16' Plate Streetdecks are working, but not any streetlites.

(12 Nov 2021, 11:01 pm)Keeiajs wrote It does seem the 16' Plate Streetdecks are working, but not any streetlites.

When we had the 16 plate StreetDecks on the X21, the sockets seemed to work more often than not, but it seems with the B5s we have now, they're rarely working.

Were they not supposed to be getting modified so the drivers don't have to manually turn them on every time?

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

(12 Nov 2021, 11:31 pm)streetdeckfan wrote When we had the 16 plate StreetDecks on the X21, the sockets seemed to work more often than not, but it seems with the B5s we have now, they're rarely working.

Were they not supposed to be getting modified so the drivers don't have to manually turn them on every time?

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

Who thought it would be a good idea to put plugsockets on a bus where the driver has to turn them all on manually

Probably because there's staff shortages and it's more important to have running buses than pissing around fixing some plugs. They're really not that important in comparison to bus actually running.

(13 Nov 2021, 9:04 am)Storx wrote Probably because there's staff shortages and it's more important to have running buses than pissing around fixing some plugs. They're really not that important in comparison to bus actually running.

To be fair, I've used the 56 for the last 5 years and I've never had one with working sockets!

(13 Nov 2021, 9:35 am)DeltaMan wrote To be fair, I've used the 56 for the last 5 years and I've never had one with working sockets!

I agree, never been on a single 56 with working sockets

(13 Nov 2021, 9:04 am)Storx wrote Probably because there's staff shortages and it's more important to have running buses than pissing around fixing some plugs. They're really not that important in comparison to bus actually running.

You can't blame staff shortages for this one. The Coast & Country Streetlites for example, and other similar batches, have rarely had working sockets/USB power since day 1. I lost count (although its probably somewhere on this forum) the amount of buses I reported to customer services or asked the driver to note it on the defect card. I actually offered to remove the sockets/USB stickers at one point free of charge  

If it's a feature that is advertised as part of a wider product, then I'd argue it is equally as important to ensure it's available. I just don't think depots see it at this, and it's not unique to Go North East. I had the same issue above with Arriva, which also went unresolved.

(13 Nov 2021, 10:29 am)Adrian wrote You can't blame staff shortages for this one. The Coast & Country Streetlites for example, and other similar batches, have rarely had working sockets/USB power since day 1. I lost count (although its probably somewhere on this forum) the amount of buses I reported to customer services or asked the driver to note it on the defect card. I actually offered to remove the sockets/USB stickers at one point free of charge  

If it's a feature that is advertised as part of a wider product, then I'd argue it is equally as important to ensure it's available. I just don't think depots see it at this, and it's not unique to Go North East. I had the same issue above with Arriva, which also went unresolved.

Yeah that's fair must admit my local buses don't have USB's so I wouldn't know.

Mind half the time it's questionable how much maintenance is done half the time (never mind USB's) with the amount of engine warning lights / alarms you see and the amount of buses which seem to be limp mode for more than one day (admit more of an Arriva problem there) or just sound outright unwell for weeks (and that's all 3 operators). From an outsider, there seems to a be a big, it isn't broke until it's at the side of the road mentality in recent years.

It's not exclusive to buses either as the Metro is just as bad, least buses don't have the problem with the heating being broken throughout the winter but then being on full blast in the summer months.

(13 Nov 2021, 10:29 am)Adrian wrote You can't blame staff shortages for this one. The Coast & Country Streetlites for example, and other similar batches, have rarely had working sockets/USB power since day 1. I lost count (although its probably somewhere on this forum) the amount of buses I reported to customer services or asked the driver to note it on the defect card. I actually offered to remove the sockets/USB stickers at one point free of charge  

If it's a feature that is advertised as part of a wider product, then I'd argue it is equally as important to ensure it's available. I just don't think depots see it at this, and it's not unique to Go North East. I had the same issue above with Arriva, which also went unresolved.

Agreed. It all boils down to Health & Safety requirements. Drivers have to manually turn the 240V sockets on, and if one fuses, it knocks them all off. Given the lower voltage, the USBs can be turned on by default (with an option to turn off, the opposite of the 240V sockets) and unlike the 240V sockets they're not all linked on a circuit so if one goes off the rest aren't affected (from what I understand, with limited electrical knowledge!)

The sockets on the Volvo B9s always used to work (as a semi-regular user of the 56 when the B9s replaced the L94s) and were supposed to be checked again when they first got repainted/refurbished. I noticed a couple of years ago that Arriva started to replace some of their 240v three-pin sockets with USBs, but didn't ever seem to finish them.

(13 Nov 2021, 10:29 am)Adrian wrote You can't blame staff shortages for this one. The Coast & Country Streetlites for example, and other similar batches, have rarely had working sockets/USB power since day 1. I lost count (although its probably somewhere on this forum) the amount of buses I reported to customer services or asked the driver to note it on the defect card. I actually offered to remove the sockets/USB stickers at one point free of charge  

If it's a feature that is advertised as part of a wider product, then I'd argue it is equally as important to ensure it's available. I just don't think depots see it at this, and it's not unique to Go North East. I had the same issue above with Arriva, which also went unresolved.

I gave up reporting them long ago.

When I tell the driver, the response is usually something like 'yeah, what do you want me to do about it".

And when I report it to customer services I just got the usual "I'll pass it onto the depot", which is obviously just their way of saying to bugger off!

A thing I'm seeing more common recently is even the USB ports on the seat backs not working, in the past they would pretty much always work, albeit very, very slowly.

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

(13 Nov 2021, 11:06 am)Dan wrote Agreed. It all boils down to Health & Safety requirements. Drivers have to manually turn the 240V sockets on, and if one fuses, it knocks them all off. Given the lower voltage, the USBs can be turned on by default (with an option to turn off, the opposite of the 240V sockets) and unlike the 240V sockets they're not all linked on a circuit so if one goes off the rest aren't affected (from what I understand, with limited electrical knowledge!)

The sockets on the Volvo B9s always used to work (as a semi-regular user of the 56 when the B9s replaced the L94s) and were supposed to be checked again when they first got repainted/refurbished. I noticed a couple of years ago that Arriva started to replace some of their 240v three-pin sockets with USBs, but didn't ever seem to finish them.

From the testing on the 240v sockets on the StreetDecks and B5s, it seems that the inverters they use are majorly underpowered for the application.

It seems that a load over 150W is enough to 'trip' the power, even spread out over multiple sockets.

I get that it isn't powerful enough to do silly things like plug in toasters and kettles, but with phones now coming as standard with 20-30W+ chargers in the box, it doesn't take much for the power to cut off.

They also don't seem to be pure sine wave inverters as my USB chargers don't play nicely with them at all.

The 30W charger that came with my phone seems to max out at ~10W on the bus.

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

(13 Nov 2021, 11:06 am)Dan wrote Agreed. It all boils down to Health & Safety requirements. Drivers have to manually turn the 240V sockets on, and if one fuses, it knocks them all off. Given the lower voltage, the USBs can be turned on by default (with an option to turn off, the opposite of the 240V sockets) and unlike the 240V sockets they're not all linked on a circuit so if one goes off the rest aren't affected (from what I understand, with limited electrical knowledge!)

The sockets on the Volvo B9s always used to work (as a semi-regular user of the 56 when the B9s replaced the L94s) and were supposed to be checked again when they first got repainted/refurbished. I noticed a couple of years ago that Arriva started to replace some of their 240v three-pin sockets with USBs, but didn't ever seem to finish them.

Are GNE doing anything about this?

I'd rather have non working sockets than none at all, which i currently have on the serice i use to drinking sessions, football matches etc! This yourselves lucky!!

(13 Nov 2021, 11:40 am)Rob44 wrote I'd rather have non working sockets than none at all, which i currently have on the serice i use to drinking sessions, football matches etc! This yourselves lucky!!

I'd rather they didn't advertise there being sockets/USBs if it's a known problem that they don't work, and haven't worked for years!

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

(13 Nov 2021, 1:13 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I'd rather they didn't advertise there being sockets/USBs if it's a known problem that they don't work, and haven't worked for years!

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

i agree! False advertising.... nothing worse.!!! 

(13 Nov 2021, 11:40 am)Rob44 wrote I'd rather have non working sockets than none at all, which i currently have on the serice i use to drinking sessions, football matches etc! This yourselves lucky!!

That's fair enough, but things like phone chargers and WiFi are not only there to attract new customers, but more importantly keep existing ones. There is nothing more annoying then getting on a bus or train that should have USB/socket chargers ghat aren't functioning when your battery is low.

(13 Nov 2021, 3:37 pm)Rob44 wrote i agree! False advertising.... nothing worse.!!! 

Nkt false advertising at all....they so have sockets USB...nothing to say they work 

(13 Nov 2021, 4:03 pm)JP6004 wrote Nkt false advertising at all....they so have sockets USB...nothing to say they work 

On their adverts charge ur phone with plug sockerts/USB, then 50% of them don't work

i do think us bus enthusiast on here overestimate how much the regular punter thinks of usb/plug sockets etc. A quick survey of my office ( only 4 in as Saturday ) of those who drive .... every single one laughed out loud when i asked if being able to charge your phone/laptop would make you move from car to bus. The ones that considered moving said the Cost and reliability would be top of there list rather than and i quote * extra's that are advertised but you've just told us don't work most of the time!!"

(13 Nov 2021, 5:19 pm)Rob44 wrote i do think us bus enthusiast on here overestimate how much the regular punter thinks of usb/plug sockets etc. A quick survey of my office ( only 4 in as Saturday ) of those who drive .... every single one laughed out loud when i asked if being able to charge your phone/laptop would make you move from car to bus. The ones that considered moving said the Cost and reliability would be top of there list rather than and i quote  * extra's that are advertised but you've just told us don't work most of the time!!"

No, but the thing is if ur route is advertised to have them, and you need them to charge your phone say if ur out for a day, people rely on them, for example i was on a Prince Bishops at like 21:00, my phone was on 6% and I needed to be charged, I had a plug&wire it just didn't work. 

i actually see a lot of people attempt/use USB's.

(13 Nov 2021, 5:28 pm)Keeiajs wrote No, but the thing is if ur route is advertised to have them, and you need them to charge your phone say if ur out for a day, people rely on them, for example i was on a Prince Bishops at like 21:00, my phone was on 6% and I needed to be charged, I had a plug&wire it just didn't work. 

i actually see a lot of people attempt/use USB's.

yes but do you believe that have these sockets, whether working or not, entices people to leave there cars and and any other mode of transport and bet the bus instead?

(13 Nov 2021, 6:39 pm)Rob44 wrote yes but do you believe that have these sockets, whether working or not, entices people to leave there cars and and any other mode of transport and bet the bus instead?

It’s the whole package, Rob.

A bus that is on-time, affordable, goes where you want it to go and at the right time, and is comfortable with the features that come as standard in a car.

Each one of those things in their own right aren’t enough. Put them all together and you stand half a chance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(13 Nov 2021, 6:42 pm)Dan wrote It’s the whole package, Rob.

A bus that is on-time, affordable, goes where you want it to go and at the right time, and is comfortable with the features that come as standard in a car.

Each one of those things in their own right aren’t enough. Put them all together and you stand half a chance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So what are GNE doing about all the broken sockets

(13 Nov 2021, 6:55 pm)Keeiajs wrote So what are GNE doing about all the broken sockets

How many have you reported to either the driver or customer services?

(13 Nov 2021, 6:42 pm)Dan wrote It’s the whole package, Rob.

A bus that is on-time, affordable, goes where you want it to go and at the right time, and is comfortable with the features that come as standard in a car.

Each one of those things in their own right aren’t enough. Put them all together and you stand half a chance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cant disagree with that.

The only problem is the people i work with wont change from their car because on of the fist two you mention so really ALL the big 3 need to concentrate on that. I dont use buses as often i I used to but i dont know if its with being an enthusiast or what but when i do use them its never straight forward.

(13 Nov 2021, 6:55 pm)Keeiajs wrote So what are GNE doing about all the broken sockets

Ask them, not me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(13 Nov 2021, 7:50 pm)Dan wrote Ask them, not me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How will the new plug sockets interwork with the old ones?