(30 Oct 2022, 8:58 am)F114TML wrote How far in advance are drivers told to terminate in Gateshead (I'm assuming this is due to driver shortage)? Maybe it was just luck, but I was on the 10/11 on Friday and about 15 minutes after I picked up the bus (so a good 3 hours or so before I was meant to be off); "36969 - on your last run, can you terminate in the City Centre and run light to the depot, please?"

Of course, I still got people wanting to go to Hendon on that last run, despite having "city centre" on the front in big letters but that's another discussion (Think I could put a destination in Shields up and no one would notice as long as the route number's correct).

It varies by depot, but at some of the more organised/better resourced GNE depots, drivers have notes attached to their duty board which gives them specific instructions for that day - i.e. terminate short on a particular trip due to no relief, or pick up a bus from the park because it won't be running.

Of course the issue with being better prepared is that the situation can (and does) evolve through the day - especially when a lot of the issues still relate to sickness, rather than a staff shortage (which is the norm in the bus industry, with extra shifts picked up as overtime).

Stagecoach were shocking yesterday too. Amongst the worst was a two hour gap on the 40 between departures from Wallsend.

Another all the buses are crap, right now, tweet. Need to take a deep breath before reading out loud

Service 20 21 2 309 310 311 Q3 94 93 97 9 56 25 6 X71 78 X72 50 10 X10  currently suffering delays of up to 30 minutes due to traffic congestion on route, please leave extra time for your journey.

Don't get me started with "on route" https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at...r-on-route

(02 Nov 2022, 8:01 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Another all the buses are crap, right now, tweet. Need to take a deep breath before reading out loud




Don't get me started with "on route" https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at...r-on-route

But tbf to them they don't have enough space to put

78 is suffering 20 mins delays at Craighead or
X71 is suffering 25 mins delays at Sunniside, while i do agree its very vague considering a lot of them were only 10 mins late or less.

The traffic has been absolutely horrendous the past few days and I don't know why.

The X7 / X8 / X9 (Arriva) are an absolute mess since the changes, they're nearly as bad as the 363/364/X25/X26 days. Some absolutely horrendous delays and cancellations because of lack of buses with a few (again) 40+ minutes late.

No doubt they'll blame the road works at Sandy Lane but they knew they were there and they're there to next spring so it's a crap excuse.

(02 Nov 2022, 9:56 pm)Storx wrote The traffic has been absolutely horrendous the past few days and I don't know why.

The X7 / X8 / X9 (Arriva) are an absolute mess since the changes, they're nearly as bad as the 363/364/X25/X26 days. Some absolutely horrendous delays and cancellations because of lack of buses with a few (again) 40+ minutes late.

No doubt they'll blame the road works at Sandy Lane but they knew they were there and they're there to next spring so it's a crap excuse.

It seems to be horrendous all over for everyone and thats even worse on top of all the other delays. 

I noticed the MP for Easington has complained about the reliability of the 65, I mean credit to GNE they have been bringing replacement vehicles when they're 15-20 mins late. 

However this morning both the 7:15 (broke down Dalton Park) 7:20 (broke down a Belmont) in a row thats just bad luck.

(02 Nov 2022, 9:59 pm)Unber43 wrote It seems to be horrendous all over for everyone and thats even worse on top of all the other delays. 

I noticed the MP for Easington has complained about the reliability of the 65, I mean credit to GNE they have been bringing replacement vehicles when they're 15-20 mins late. 

However this morning both the 7:15 (broke down Dalton Park) 7:20 (broke down a Belmont) in a row thats just bad luck.

I think they're actually swapping the full bus on the 65 on some runs now rather than relieving a driver at Seaham to make up for the delays.

(29 Oct 2022, 4:45 pm)Andreos1 wrote Engagement with customers on social media seems to have gone from poor/abysmal to literally non-existent.

Not sure what the logic is there. But I can't see it doing them any favours.
Saying that, I'm sure am industry back patting award will still somehow come their way.

You'll be no doubt pleased to learn that GNE didn't win anything at the Route One awards last night.

Perhaps even the Route One Awards and Nominations Committee are tiring of the back-patting, ego-masturbatory, state of the bus industry.

(03 Nov 2022, 10:17 am)MurdnunoC wrote You'll be no doubt pleased to learn that GNE didn't win anything at the Route One awards last night.

Perhaps even the Route One Awards and Nominations Committee are tiring of the back-patting, ego-masturbatory, state of the bus industry. 

I'd hope so. But it looks like all the back-patting and ego-masturbatory action is all going on at the Euro Bus Expo.

https://twitter.com/creatingdesire/statu...-PNXiAmPPA&s=19

In more ways than one! :vomit:

(03 Nov 2022, 11:40 am)Andreos1 wrote I'd hope so. But it looks like all the back-patting and ego-masturbatory action is all going on at the Euro Bus Expo.

https://twitter.com/creatingdesire/statu...-PNXiAmPPA&s=19

In more ways than one! :vomit:

I see he's continuing to include ridiculously pale headrests in these "desirable" interiors. I can't actually remember the last time I got on a GNE bus with the cream headrests when they looked even somewhat clean - I'm not saying that black headrests would necessarily be any cleaner, but at least they don't look scruffy immediately.

Maybe the sort of fluids "The Ten Percent Club" would get onto the seats wouldn't actually stain a pale covering but would contrast quite a bit with black. All starts to make sense...

(03 Nov 2022, 8:32 pm)mb134 wrote I see he's continuing to include ridiculously pale headrests in these "desirable" interiors. I can't actually remember the last time I got on a GNE bus with the cream headrests when they looked even somewhat clean - I'm not saying that black headrests would necessarily be any cleaner, but at least they don't look scruffy immediately.

Maybe the sort of fluids "The Ten Percent Club" would get onto the seats wouldn't actually stain a pale covering but would contrast quite a bit with black. All starts to make sense...

The cream headrests look absolutely horrendous, they're thick of grime and hair grease already!

(03 Nov 2022, 8:32 pm)mb134 wrote I see he's continuing to include ridiculously pale headrests in these "desirable" interiors. I can't actually remember the last time I got on a GNE bus with the cream headrests when they looked even somewhat clean - I'm not saying that black headrests would necessarily be any cleaner, but at least they don't look scruffy immediately.

Maybe the sort of fluids "The Ten Percent Club" would get onto the seats wouldn't actually stain a pale covering but would contrast quite a bit with black. All starts to make sense...

6334/5 headrests always seemed to look dirty whenever I used to end up with them on the X21. That said the Sapphire blue e-leather is quite pale and they tend to look reasonably clean (apart from the stitched in Sapphire logos).

Cleanliness often tends to be lacking at GNE, I had one of the Peterlee Purples on the X6 the other week and I had to try and not touch/lean on any surface for fears of my clothing being ruined. The Cove panels always seem to be dirty as well somehow.

Cleanliness seems to be a massive issue, literally every bus I get on is filthy inside, sweets all over the floor. I mean I got on a bus and there was half a waffle on the floor.

I got on a 10B which had just been replaced a riverside and there was split coffee all over the upper deck

They just never seem to be cleaned nightly, if they are they're not getting done well enough.

(03 Nov 2022, 10:43 pm)Jimmi wrote 6334/5 headrests always seemed to look dirty whenever I used to end up with them on the X21. That said the Sapphire blue e-leather is quite pale and they tend to look reasonably clean (apart from the stitched in Sapphire logos).

Cleanliness often tends to be lacking at GNE, I had one of the Peterlee Purples on the X6 the other week and I had to try and not touch/lean on any surface for fears of my clothing being ruined. The Cove panels always seem to be dirty as well somehow.

You should try driving them at night when it looks like the windscreen has been cleaned with a piece of KFC chicken.

Seems to be major issues with reliability on the 39A. 

Also another thing, when buses are more late than there actual frequency regularly happen with the X1, the service should go NIS, however say if the route is 15 mins late leaving Peterlee, let it run in service to say Houghton, then run NIS for the rest of the route. 

Imo this would be a great way to try and keep services on time which are a high frequency. 

I think this would be great on the 21/X1/56/58/27/20 (when/if it returns to only the 20)/60/ 39/39A/39B (after Ryhope heading towards Pennywell)

I know it's not bus related but there's been a lot of discussion about useless customer service and I just seen this (and it's quite common) from Nexus:

The lift at Northumberland Park is currently out of service. Customers requiring step free access are advised to use Shiremoor.

Very helpful for someone who can't walk and need to use a lift. Not sure what help it is being dropped off a mile in the wrong place, surely there should be some form of taxi... Just interesting it's not just the buses, not to mention there's cancelled runs again due to lack of drivers.

I don't know if I've just gotten lucky, but I have not had as much disruption with GNE cancellation wise this week.

(05 Nov 2022, 8:42 am)Jack Gill wrote I don't know if I've just gotten lucky, but I have not had as much disruption with GNE cancellation wise this week.

Theres some Washington today, but yesterday or Thursday there wasn't a single one listed, they are all for Riverside.

So here is todays situation for the 53- 1 has been cancelled, another is 39 minutes late running to North Shields, that same bus is currently going to be running 24 minutes late back to Cramlington

18 services on the 43 and 44 from Newcastle have been cancelled today. Not quite as bad as Wednesday when 27 journeys leaving Haymarket on the 43/44/45 services were cancelled on the day. Considering they're already on an emergency timetable, the service really is thin in the Wideopen/Dinnington area at the moment.

(05 Nov 2022, 2:54 pm)V514DFT wrote So here is todays situation for the 53- 1 has been cancelled, another is 39 minutes late running to North Shields, that same bus is currently going to be running 24 minutes late back to Cramlington

Update, that service was then cancelled

(05 Nov 2022, 12:50 pm)Unber43 wrote Theres some Washington today, but yesterday or Thursday there wasn't a single one listed, they are all for Riverside.

There was hardly any at Washington today either.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(05 Nov 2022, 11:03 pm)Dan wrote There was hardly any at Washington today either.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That is a view I hope keeps like that

Arriva have been a total shambles since the closure of Jesmond.

The 51 which was previously a very reliable service had a service around every 3/4 hours on Saturday. That is until the later runs which are secured by Nexus seemed to run fine.

To add to this, very few 43 services made it to Morpeth - in fact very few operated at all (2hr gaps in departures from Haymarket at times).

There is probably more that I haven't picked up on. Pretty sure most people could see this coming, but it's pretty disgraceful.

The x10s and x11 after a certain time on Saturday were operating via wideopen. I never saw a 21 go through kibbleswroth then 72 28a's in a row were canceled

Approximately 200 residents from the Dinnington/Wideopen/Hazlerigg area attended a meeting at Dinnington First School tonight, arranged by the Castle Ward councillors to discuss the cancellation issues on the 43, 44 and 45. Unfortunately Arriva didn't send a representative, and the person who was due to represent Nexus had Covid and couldn't attend.

It's safe to say there's a lot of unhappy residents though.

https://www.facebook.com/100068220229150...sn=scwspmo

Are 20-40 mins delays usual on the 309/310/311?

(07 Nov 2022, 9:54 pm)Shrek wrote Approximately 200 residents from the Dinnington/Wideopen/Hazlerigg area attended a meeting at Dinnington First School tonight, arranged by the Castle Ward councillors to discuss the cancellation issues on the 43, 44 and 45. Unfortunately Arriva didn't send a representative, and the person who was due to represent Nexus had Covid and couldn't attend.

It's safe to say there's a lot of unhappy residents though.

https://www.facebook.com/100068220229150...sn=scwspmo

Arriva are a joke at the minute

Apparently there's been gaps of up to four hours on the 52/3/4 yesterday

(08 Nov 2022, 12:37 pm)GNE6312 wrote Apparently there's been gaps of up to four hours on the 52/3/4 yesterday

Yeah there wasn’t a 53 from North Shields from around 17:00 to 22:00 - pretty disgraceful really.