The bus I was on took nearly 25 minutes between passing Metrocentre Holiday Inn and passing Riverside depot. It was "Christmas" levels of traffic...at the end of September.

(02 Oct 2022, 6:06 am)Storx wrote What do you honestly expect with the Sunderland services when there's 42k supporters who usually fill 3 Metro's heading towards Newcastle attempting to use buses or driving instead adding delays everywhere. Not to mention people between Hexham / Durham / Metro Centre and Newcastle aswell which are all extremely popular train routes (believe it or not, not everyone prefers buses - infact most people don't).

Also obviously you didn't check the GNE Twitter too well as there was an unplanned march by the train drivers which messed everything up at Central yesterday which didn't help.

Ridiculous post.

You mean this tweet, which is likely the most vague they've ever put out? https://twitter.com/gonortheast/status/1...6833402881

"due to traffic congestion/protest march/football traffic" - the football traffic was in Sunderland and the 'protest march' was in Newcastle!

It wasn't a march by train drivers, as you suggest, and most services had gone to pot for the day long before the (planned) demo at Grey Street had started. The march following it was unplanned, but it was through Grainger Street in about 5 minutes. Perhaps an easy excuse for the social media team on the day though?

It's not like marches and protests are an unusual feature of Saturdays in Newcastle, particularly now the students have returned.

(02 Oct 2022, 12:02 pm)Adrian wrote You mean this tweet, which is likely the most vague they've ever put out? https://twitter.com/gonortheast/status/1...6833402881

"due to traffic congestion/protest march/football traffic" - the football traffic was in Sunderland and the 'protest march' was in Newcastle!

It wasn't a march by train drivers, as you suggest, and most services had gone to pot for the day long before the (planned) demo at Grey Street had started. The march following it was unplanned, but it was through Grainger Street in about 5 minutes. Perhaps an easy excuse for the social media team on the day though?

Its the same when they put out 

we are experiencing high passenger levels and traffic congestion our services are experiencing delays upto 45 mins

I mean thats great, but where, will my service be affected? Will Services be cancelled? Are they turning at Gateshead (unannounced a lot do). 

Saturday was just a catastrophe as you say before the football match in Sunderland and the Protest in newcastle. Both were planned. 

Its again bad planning.

(02 Oct 2022, 1:10 pm)Unber43 wrote Its the same when they put out 

we are experiencing high passenger levels and traffic congestion our services are experiencing delays upto 45 mins

I mean thats great, but where, will my service be affected? Will Services be cancelled? Are they turning at Gateshead (unannounced a lot do). 

Saturday was just a catastrophe as you say before the football match in Sunderland and the Protest in newcastle. Both were planned. 

Its again bad planning.

I wish you'd hurry up and take those driving lessoms you threatened to do a while back

What a shambles!!!

(02 Oct 2022, 2:49 pm)MurdnunoC wrote I wish you'd hurry up and take those driving lessoms you threatened to do a while back

What a shambles!!!

I've been trying to book in driving lessons for a while now and there's literally zero availability. A friend who is already taking lessons is even struggling to get slots with her instructor!

(02 Oct 2022, 3:14 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I've been trying to book in driving lessons for a while now and there's literally zero availability. A friend who is already taking lessons is even struggling to get slots with her instructor!

Give me £20 an hour and I'll teach ya.

(02 Oct 2022, 3:20 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Give me £20 an hour and I'll teach ya.

You’re not a trusted source, sadly.


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(02 Oct 2022, 3:41 pm)Dan wrote You’re not a trusted source, sadly.


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-LOL

(02 Oct 2022, 3:20 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Give me £20 an hour and I'll teach ya.

Only if I can keep bringing up how canny Liz Truss is, and how she actually has a plan...

(02 Oct 2022, 4:16 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Only if I can keep bringing up how canny Liz Truss is, and how she actually has a plan...

There's an extra £30 surcharge for that particular fetish, but I'm willing to accommodate

(02 Oct 2022, 4:16 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Only if I can keep bringing up how canny Liz Truss is, and how she actually has a plan...

X21 it is then!
Nobody should have to listen to that sort of craic. Not even for an extra £30 surcharge

---

(02 Oct 2022, 4:44 pm)MurdnunoC wrote There's an extra £30 surcharge for that particular fetish, but I'm willing to accommodate

Don't do it. 
Don't lower yourself.

You're worth more than that.

(02 Oct 2022, 4:16 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Only if I can keep bringing up how canny Liz Truss is, and how she actually has a plan...

clearly the X21 isn't as much of a problem as you make it out to be! 

(02 Oct 2022, 1:10 pm)Unber43 wrote Its the same when they put out 

we are experiencing high passenger levels and traffic congestion our services are experiencing delays upto 45 mins

I mean thats great, but where, will my service be affected? Will Services be cancelled? Are they turning at Gateshead (unannounced a lot do). 

Saturday was just a catastrophe as you say before the football match in Sunderland and the Protest in newcastle. Both were planned. 

Its again bad planning.

Just curious what's this plan since you seem to have an idea?

You've got no extra drivers to do this plan either since there isn't any.

The literal only 'plan' would be to cancel the 56 outright from Newcastle to Wrekenton and make people change buses but I know that wouldn't be popular and rightly so as the other end of the route was more important yesterday or just cancel everything else at Deptford which again wouldn't be popular and rightly so.

(02 Oct 2022, 7:38 pm)Storx wrote Just curious what's this plan since you seem to have an idea?

You've got no extra drivers to do this plan either since there isn't any.

The literal only 'plan' would be to cancel the 56 outright from Newcastle to Wrekenton and make people change buses but I know that wouldn't be popular and rightly so as the other end of the route was more important yesterday or just cancel everything else at Deptford which again wouldn't be popular and rightly so.

Well Ill start with the easy ones. 

65 - a Driver will come in a Streetlite to change drivers so they can leave ontime. 
20 - Curb that at Park Lane 
X45 - Curb that at Consett 
16 - Terminate at Consett 

Really there isn't a lot you can do without adding anymore drivers, but I personally would rather have 4 more cancelled services than 4 sorry but due to a delayed X the X service won't run to X.

I understand delays happen, however when GNE twitter page is like 1 breakdown for every 6 delayed operation (probably more) tweets it gets a bit ridiculous.

(02 Oct 2022, 7:16 pm)omnicity4659 wrote clearly the X21 isn't as much of a problem as you make it out to be! 

When was the last time I complained about the X21?

Even if I had a car, I'd probably still use it the same as I do now!

(02 Oct 2022, 7:48 pm)Unber43 wrote Well Ill start with the easy ones. 

65 - a Driver will come in a Streetlite to change drivers so they can leave ontime. 
20 - Curb that at Park Lane 
X45 - Curb that at Consett 
16 - Terminate at Consett 

Really there isn't a lot you can do without adding anymore drivers, but I personally would rather have 4 more cancelled services than 4 sorry but due to a delayed X the X service won't run to X.

I understand delays happen, however when GNE twitter page is like 1 breakdown for every 6 delayed operation (probably more) tweets it gets a bit ridiculous.

If the 16 and X45 didn’t run to Hownsgill, how would the drivers get from the depot to the bus station?


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(02 Oct 2022, 7:48 pm)Unber43 wrote Well Ill start with the easy ones. 

65 - a Driver will come in a Streetlite to change drivers so they can leave ontime. 
20 - Curb that at Park Lane 
X45 - Curb that at Consett 
16 - Terminate at Consett 

Really there isn't a lot you can do without adding anymore drivers, but I personally would rather have 4 more cancelled services than 4 sorry but due to a delayed X the X service won't run to X.

I understand delays happen, however when GNE twitter page is like 1 breakdown for every 6 delayed operation (probably more) tweets it gets a bit ridiculous.

Can't say much on the operations on the 65 but the other 3 would barely make a difference 5 minutes max.

Like yesterday it's hard to tell where the delays were going to be, it was always obvious that there was going to be problems on the 56 but where do you cancel them. The 5/9/24 had issues aswell but again there's not much you can really do.

The bigger problems with GNE is the timetables are way too tight but then your stuck in a circle if you add minutes on it's more PVR and there's no-one to drive it. Some routes, the X21 in particular, have stupidly short layover times with only 4 minutes at each end and most routes are similar.

(02 Oct 2022, 9:07 pm)Storx wrote Can't say much on the operations on the 65 but the other 3 would barely make a difference 5 minutes max.

Like yesterday it's hard to tell where the delays were going to be, it was always obvious that there was going to be problems on the 56 but where do you cancel them. The 5/9/24 had issues aswell but again there's not much you can really do.

The bigger problems with GNE is the timetables are way too tight but then your stuck in a circle if you add minutes on it's more PVR and there's no-one to drive it. Some routes, the X21 in particular, have stupidly short layover times with only 4 minutes at each end and most routes are similar.

Thats what I was saying layover times really.

I know the 9 used to have like 20 mins at Sunderland, the 24 has around 10, 20 has around 10 from various points from Stand D to Stand L, 21 has about 7/8 at Eldon Square I think its only a couple mins at CLS. But even routes with bigger layover times the X1 (which I think has 10 mins either end) the 60 has 12 at Sunderland still regularly go NIS. 

Didn't Martjin say that they were going to introduce something to stop this I can't remember what it was called but he name dropped the X1, 21 & 60 in it. 

But also parking at Eldon Square is a bit of a joke with arriva and GNE parking their services there when theres no driver. I've seen many Pulars and Yutongs in their.

It seems GCT have gone to pot yet again, incidentally coinciding with their recent contract wins (67/69, 82A etc.).

The 335 seems to be the worst effected - 3 hour gaps this evening. I've stopped using it as the reliability has been shocking over the past few weeks.

Pointless complaining to Nexus, more use talking to a brick wall.

(03 Oct 2022, 5:35 pm)Thomas12 wrote It seems GCT have gone to pot yet again, incidentally coinciding with their recent contract wins (67/69, 82A etc.).

The 335 seems to be the worst effected - 3 hour gaps this evening. I've stopped using it as the reliability has been shocking over the past few weeks.

Pointless complaining to Nexus, more use talking to a brick wall.

It’ll be fun when they start operation of the Durham Park & Ride in a few weeks…


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(03 Oct 2022, 11:42 pm)Dan wrote It’ll be fun when they start operation of the Durham Park & Ride in a few weeks…


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Do we know what vehicles they'll be using?

(03 Oct 2022, 11:43 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Do we know what vehicles they'll be using?

We think they'll be using vehicles?

Judging by their performance on some of the routes they've won, I assumed they'll not send anything out but keep taking the money!


(Seriously ....  If you don't complain, no-one will be any the wiser that the service is not meeting requirements.  Our local operator has been taking the **** with a route that should have six buses an hour, resulting in passengers regularly having waits of 45 minutes or so ..... repeated complaints and some very barbed articles in the press, including national BBC, have persuaded the operator that they need to something if they wish to continue in the area!)

(03 Oct 2022, 11:42 pm)Dan wrote It’ll be fun when they start operation of the Durham Park & Ride in a few weeks…


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That will be interesting! I’ll be expecting very few buses on the 342 and 335 in that case then.

(03 Oct 2022, 11:42 pm)Dan wrote It’ll be fun when they start operation of the Durham Park & Ride in a few weeks…


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Oh, blimey :s

I see the infamous anti GNE tree still hasn’t been removed from High St West

Have gne got such dwindling influence they can even get gateshead council to trim a few branches

(06 Oct 2022, 9:42 pm)Ambassador wrote I see the infamous anti GNE tree still hasn’t been removed from High St West

Have gne got such dwindling influence they can even get gateshead council to trim a few branches

Are they still going down Gateshead High Street.

its a tree.

Just a thought. In light of the all bus operators short staffed surely a mutual ticket acceptance would be a good move for passengers?

#bestever 

(07 Oct 2022, 3:23 pm)BusLoverMum wrote #bestever 

I seen that tweet and it just feels badly worded, which to me makes it feel worse than it needs to be. ‘All areas’ ‘most services’ just seems unnecessarily vague. It feels like a template was used that is meant to be service/area specific. It’s Friday, often there’s higher than usual traffic compared to other weekdays etc. so delays may happen at various point across the network but a tweet such as this: 

We are sorry but many of our services across the region are suffering delays of up to 35 minutes, due to traffic congestion and delayed operation. Please allow extra time for travel. 

At least the above is a more rounded statement. Some may say, considering they continue to post service specific updates, it’s up for debate if even the above is even that useful.