(03 Dec 2021, 8:23 am)Rob44 wrote You've changed your tune. You got most of your work for the day done at one of the x21 tables?!
(03 Dec 2021, 10:39 am)Ambassador wrote A few things from me on it.
- Covid has eroded confidence in public transport and let's be frank, it had image issues before the pandemic.
- Short Notice Cancellations - unavoidable but still erodes that level of confidence and requires more planning than a taxi or a car does.
- Hygiene and comfort - as others have eluded. I used the bus to the match on Tuesday. Journey there was on an Angel Streetdeck and it was utterly filthy on the top deck. Sandwich fillings, spilt drinks and with Covid having all the windows open an utterly miserable experience. The journey home was on an Omnidekka and that was worse, cramped, cold and it stunk.
- Vast numbers of people are now home working in a hybrid model or permanently and perhaps the car becomes more affordable run if you're only in the office 2 days a week.
- Staying with afforfability, ticketing still hasn't caught up with the Hybrid working ethos. Network One just don't offer anything and the current options on offer from the big 3 aren't really suitable so again, use the car.
- I'm not entirely sure the network has adapted to new demands and the change in commuter behaviour
- Traffic management in Gateshead is poor in general but both Gateshead and NCC persist with this stick before carrot approach and its clearly not working.
(03 Dec 2021, 10:39 am)Ambassador wrote A few things from me on it.
- Covid has eroded confidence in public transport and let's be frank, it had image issues before the pandemic.
- Short Notice Cancellations - unavoidable but still erodes that level of confidence and requires more planning than a taxi or a car does.
- Hygiene and comfort - as others have eluded. I used the bus to the match on Tuesday. Journey there was on an Angel Streetdeck and it was utterly filthy on the top deck. Sandwich fillings, spilt drinks and with Covid having all the windows open an utterly miserable experience. The journey home was on an Omnidekka and that was worse, cramped, cold and it stunk.
- Vast numbers of people are now home working in a hybrid model or permanently and perhaps the car becomes more affordable run if you're only in the office 2 days a week.
- Staying with afforfability, ticketing still hasn't caught up with the Hybrid working ethos. Network One just don't offer anything and the current options on offer from the big 3 aren't really suitable so again, use the car.
- I'm not entirely sure the network has adapted to new demands and the change in commuter behaviour
- Traffic management in Gateshead is poor in general but both Gateshead and NCC persist with this stick before carrot approach and its clearly not working.
(03 Dec 2021, 8:33 am)54APhotography wrote The whole subject needs serious attention, the fact is there will be no reopening of railway lines bar the Ashington line. There will be no Metro expansion, and there will be no new money for trunk road improvements - that was clearly stamped the day after the lying clown Johnson harped on about the region and his connectivity pledge.
So, where do you start. Tax cars off the road, I'm all for that, but it's not going to happen. Promise more buses? You can't as the driver shortage isn't going away, and won't. Put more Metros on? You can't because of the signalling used, and worse to come when new trains arrive you'll have to stand on almost every journey, won't catch me or many others settling for that.
And hard as it is to muddle all this together, and wham - along comes net zero..
And despite what is said here, a cold reality is, nobody is listening, nobody wants to take the bull by the horns..
(06 Dec 2021, 9:28 am)Andreos1 wrote https://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A...e-22363419&h=AT2Iq7sbk9fnbgzDvnkn7UTNN-9Zkon_Y_wbPKU1sW0UDCuwhOTzaWCIBbtu066Or7AomwsMhs3NXCPrGG-8_qD3rewkV4WciHH7o7-JJunKp_UHRrwc4TTz5hKYLDXbThere are no bus services on Tees Dock Road, has there ever been?
Pressure grows to get buses serving major sources of employment, at times to suit employees shift patterns.
JCP say they have potential candidates to get to Teesport. However potential candidates can't actually get to/from Teesport due to poor public transport.
(06 Dec 2021, 9:28 am)Andreos1 wrote https://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A...e-22363419&h=AT2Iq7sbk9fnbgzDvnkn7UTNN-9Zkon_Y_wbPKU1sW0UDCuwhOTzaWCIBbtu066Or7AomwsMhs3NXCPrGG-8_qD3rewkV4WciHH7o7-JJunKp_UHRrwc4TTz5hKYLDXb
Pressure grows to get buses serving major sources of employment, at times to suit employees shift patterns.
JCP say they have potential candidates to get to Teesport. However potential candidates can't actually get to/from Teesport due to poor public transport.
(06 Dec 2021, 11:46 am)Adrian wrote Wasn't the port supposed to create 18,000 jobs over the next five years as a freeport? Bizarre that an employment site like that cannot work in partnership to secure a bus service around shift times.History tells us Freeports have a negative effect. I don't see 5-10% of their estimation.. If the demand for the Tesco distribution centre wasn't enough for a bus, I can't see what would be..
Perhaps they'll wait for people to get cars instead, then complain about extra cars on the road causing congestion.
(06 Dec 2021, 11:46 am)Adrian wrote Wasn't the port supposed to create 18,000 jobs over the next five years as a freeport? Bizarre that an employment site like that cannot work in partnership to secure a bus service around shift times.
Perhaps they'll wait for people to get cars instead, then complain about extra cars on the road causing congestion.
(06 Dec 2021, 11:51 am)54APhotography wrote History tells us Freeports have a negative effect. I don't see 5-10% of their estimation.. If the demand for the Tesco distribution centre wasn't enough for a bus, I can't see what would be..
(06 Dec 2021, 11:55 am)Andreos1 wrote Someone needs to get the ball rolling and quickly. Particularly with this whole freeport thing and the supposed boost to the already high levels of employment there.
It seems crazy we have operators saying theyre struggling and passenger numbers aren't reaching pre-pandemic levels and on the other hand, huge employers like Teesport don't have any public transport provision, never mind provision at times to suit shift-patterns.
Kudos to GNE and Amazon in this case. I just hope it was the start of a total change in thinking by operators and not an exception to the rules.
(06 Dec 2021, 12:22 pm)Adrian wrote Freeports aside, I wonder if its lack of demand or lack of initiative from councils and transport operators?Absolutely, I think the lack of services to Bowburn are a direct result of Durham Council bias and blunder. Services 56-59 and X12 pass nearby and a diversion would not be a problem at all. It's not as if the jobs are high paying, so public transport would be a massive bonus and be gratefully patronised.
Amazon at Follingsby has a bus every 7-8 minutes at shift times to Heworth, yet Amazon at Bowburn (which was quoted as also having 1,000 permanent jobs in the press release) has nothing but fresh air serving it. I don't believe the make up of employees will be much different between the two sites, so it seems to be that one operator has had the initiative, but the operator serving the other hasn't.
Darlington have a bus, but I understand that is funded by time-limited section 106 money from planning. In Bowburn's case, the s106 money went towards education provision iirc. I think the Follingsby operation is fully commercial too.
Yep, GNE and Amazon Follingsby is a superb example of how partnership should work in my opinion, but like you say, hopefully this becomes the norm and not the exception.
(06 Dec 2021, 12:31 pm)54APhotography wrote Absolutely, I think the lack of services to Bowburn are a direct result of Durham Council bias and blunder. Services 56-59 and X12 pass nearby and a diversion would not be a problem at all. It's not as if the jobs are high paying, so public transport would be a massive bonus and be gratefully patronised.
(06 Dec 2021, 12:22 pm)Adrian wrote Freeports aside, I wonder if its lack of demand or lack of initiative from councils and transport operators?
Amazon at Follingsby has a bus every 7-8 minutes at shift times to Heworth, yet Amazon at Bowburn (which was quoted as also having 1,000 permanent jobs in the press release) has nothing but fresh air serving it. I don't believe the make up of employees will be much different between the two sites, so it seems to be that one operator has had the initiative, but the operator serving the other hasn't.
Darlington have a bus, but I understand that is funded by time-limited section 106 money from planning. In Bowburn's case, the s106 money went towards education provision iirc. I think the Follingsby operation is fully commercial too.
Yep, GNE and Amazon Follingsby is a superb example of how partnership should work in my opinion, but like you say, hopefully this becomes the norm and not the exception.
(06 Dec 2021, 4:09 pm)streetdeckfan wrote The pick/up drop off point at Bowburn is absolutely packed at shift change, to the point where it can take a good 15-20 minutes to actually get to it. I wonder how many of those people would use the bus if they could?The other week I was searching for some info about a bus to Amazon's Darlington site from Middlesbrough after seeing a pic on Facebook and whilst searching I stumbled upon a Facebook group dedicated to car sharing to reach some of the sites in the North East, various people asking if anyone else would be able to pick them up who are also working at Amazon sites like Bowburn who don't have alternative travel options, many offering money towards fuel for the lift some offering as much as £20 which is more than some of the local weekly ticket options avaliable on buses in the areas of the sites. Most of the shift times were pretty similar too so could even just divert a few trips a day and extra journeys for the night shifts.
They've also just extended the car park, presumably because people have no choice but to drive!
When my brother started there last year, there was a bus service provided by Amazon. It was tight, but he could make it there on time. Now it's impossible for him.
My mother actually bought a second, smaller car just to take him to work because the other car is a big heavy 4x4 and it was costing a fortune.
(07 Dec 2021, 3:54 pm)Jimmi wrote The other week I was searching for some info about a bus to Amazon's Darlington site from Middlesbrough after seeing a pic on Facebook and whilst searching I stumbled upon a Facebook group dedicated to car sharing to reach some of the sites in the North East, various people asking if anyone else would be able to pick them up who are also working at Amazon sites like Bowburn who don't have alternative travel options, many offering money towards fuel for the lift some offering as much as £20 which is more than some of the local weekly ticket options avaliable on buses in the areas of the sites. Most of the shift times were pretty similar too so could even just divert a few trips a day and extra journeys for the night shifts.
It would require extra resources for Arriva to divert the 56/57/57A and X12 although the latter wouldn't need extra buses due to long layover in Middlesbrough Bus Station following the diversion of the route into Teesside Park a while back.
Other Amazon sites have special buses like the one that ran from Durham by Weardale last year which can be booked on the Zeelo app
(27 Jan 2022, 9:50 am)busmanT wrote If there is enough "money in it" I would expect one of them to be doing it already!Gerraway man.
(26 Mar 2022, 6:15 pm)Ambassador wrote There isn’t the demand, they can’t run the services they run now without adding further demand to the network, the current frequency probably breaks even at bestTbh I wouldn't say that for the 4/20, the 60 & 56 maybe only in peak time. But the 4 & 20 are rammed constantly
(26 Mar 2022, 6:49 pm)Unber43 wrote Tbh I wouldn't say that for the 4/20, the 60 & 56 maybe only in peak time. But the 4 & 20 are rammed constantlyAlways see X46/X46 rammed. X1, X21, 21, 97's are quite busy as well. The 10s are busy. This past week or two the amount of people I've seen on buses is high. I even see the 55 busy.
(26 Mar 2022, 7:21 pm)nova347 wrote Always see X46/X46 rammed. X1, X21, 21, 97's are quite busy as well. The 10s are busy. This past week or two the amount of people I've seen on buses is high. I even see the 55 busy.X45/X46 went to every 20 mins wrong move imo.