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Disruptions and driver shortages

RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(30 Jun 2023, 8:09 pm)Unber43 wrote another shit show for GNE today, control basically said FU to the drivers. No updates via socials, buses running 20-30 mins late. Maybe even longer like seriously, an utter joke

It seems utterly mad to me to just keep sending buses into Newcastle knowing they're going to get stuck, there must be a solution that involves turning around at Gateshead.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(30 Jun 2023, 8:13 pm)deanmachine wrote It seems utterly mad to me to just keep sending buses into Newcastle knowing they're going to get stuck, there must be a solution that involves turning around at Gateshead.

Get staff to drive shuttle buses between Gateshead to Newcastle
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(30 Jun 2023, 8:13 pm)deanmachine wrote It seems utterly mad to me to just keep sending buses into Newcastle knowing they're going to get stuck, there must be a solution that involves turning around at Gateshead.

Probably didn't help the Metro is in a chronic state either. At least 9 boards were cancelled today with upto 30 minute gaps which won't help things until they just stopped reporting which trains were cancelled outright.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(30 Jun 2023, 9:06 pm)Unber43 wrote https://www.flickr.com/photos/blockybus/53012738857/ this photo says it all

Wow

That is indefensible sheer incompetence from GNE and whoever is on control duty. 

It’ll go on uncorrected as it has for nigh on a decade.

Edit….Christ on a bike…the person posting the photo is apparently a commercial assistant at GNE and doesn’t see why this is a problem, they’re acting like it’s a positive….no wonder the company is buggered
Wistfully stuck in the 90s
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(30 Jun 2023, 9:06 pm)Unber43 wrote https://www.flickr.com/photos/blockybus/53012738857/ this photo says it all

That really looks bad to have all of the 56s backing up like that, and not regulate them. However I’m going to say with a degree of hope rather than any certainty that they’ve caught up time with each other and actually left at different times. But I do hope that once control knew these three were running together, that the bus running most behind time, transferred passengers and ran light back to Sunderland to pick up the next journey.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
There were 8 21s in Newcastle City Centre at one stage if Bustimes was to be believed. 6325, as an example, ended up 71 minutes late at Gateshead Interchange on its 17:12 to Brandon.

The Service Delivery Centre is brought up on here frequently. Situations such as this is where they should earn their money but, judging by posts on here & on social media, for whatever reason it seems like they keep failing to do so.

Edit: A bit more hunting on Bustimes, the X1s look to have been equally bad. 6362 seems to have started it's 16:53 X1 into Newcastle about 36 minutes late, having been slammed into town on it's last trip. It got to Gateshead Interchange at 18:30 (41L) heading into town, and it should have been the 18:21 from there back to Peterlee. It was sent into town, and apparently left Eldon Square at 19:12, 71 minutes after it was due to do so. Passenger loadings and numbers waiting in Eldon Square obviously play a part, but outside looking in (which is, to a lesser extent, what passengers do) it seems mental that a bus, on a frequent route, which was over 40 minutes late and guaranteed to lose more time wasn't turned at an interchange point with passengers exchanged.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(30 Jun 2023, 11:15 pm)mb134 wrote The Service Delivery Centre is brought up on here frequently. Situations such as this is where they should earn their money but, judging by posts on here & on social media, for whatever reason it seems like they keep failing to do so.

I've heard they've cut back the staff in the SDC, so I doubt that will help.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(30 Jun 2023, 11:33 pm)deanmachine wrote I've heard they've cut back the staff in the SDC, so I doubt that will help.

Which, given the financial situation, makes sense. But then if this is the result when the disruption is more than one bus breaking down, what's the point of having an "SDC" at all?
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(01 Jul 2023, 3:58 pm)Unber43 wrote If the past 72hrs is to go by there shouldnt be a SDC team, they should all be gone after the disastrous performance

I very much doubt you could do any better to be honest.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(01 Jul 2023, 4:27 pm)Unber43 wrote It not my job
You suggested "you always have to help out" yesterday.

Mind, I think "help" would be stretching it in this case.

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RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
I'm gonna say it so fire your replies away

What the hell has happened to Go North East in the past few weeks. Have they just given up caring for the passengers u know the people they rely on to keep there services running.

Today the X75 broke down and apparently a nexus person was having to tell people update on the X75 and what was happening. Hmm I wonder why oh yea that's right. Cause twitter is never updated

Felt sorry for whoever the nexus man at Eldon was today. Probably got shouted at by thousands of people for trying to help them on a bus which was just on small sign posters with the line saying (some buses may be cancelled or terminate early due to the CM being shut) like absolutely nothing later from gne like they could have at least told people on twitter to expect delays. There's absolutely no indication to check the website as it doesn't tell u to (Probably does but idk) like I don't use the app (mainly for it being the most buggy and laggy thing I've ever had)

Like serious it seems gne has just given up trying to communicate with there passengers

Yes I'm Probably gonna get some nasty responses here of me "slating gne or constantly having a go at them" but when your out for the day and nothing being update its just bad

I'm ready for the backlash sooo I'll watch this
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(01 Jul 2023, 6:37 pm)Busu284 wrote I'm gonna say it so fire your replies away

What the hell has happened to Go North East in the past few weeks. Have they just given up caring for the passengers u know the people they rely on to keep there services running.

Today the X75 broke down and apparently a nexus person was having to tell people update on the X75 and what was happening. Hmm I wonder why oh yea that's right. Cause twitter is never updated

Felt sorry for whoever the nexus man at Eldon was today. Probably got shouted at by thousands of people for trying to help them on a bus which was just on small sign posters with the line saying (some buses may be cancelled or terminate early due to the CM being shut) like absolutely nothing later from gne like they could have at least told people on twitter to expect delays. There's absolutely no indication to check the website as it doesn't tell u to (Probably does but idk) like I don't use the app (mainly for it being the most buggy and laggy thing I've ever had)

Like serious it seems gne has just given up trying to communicate with there passengers

Yes I'm Probably gonna get some nasty responses here of me "slating gne or constantly having a go at them" but when your out for the day and nothing being update its just bad

I'm ready for the backlash sooo I'll watch this

"apparently" and "probably"... did you see this for yourself?

There's of course no room to give staff abuse, if indeed that did happen, but part of the role of a bus station supervisor is to answer queries from members of the public. So whilst it's not great that GNE seem to have ceased to use Twitter for service updates without public reason, I think most people would prefer to have staff on hand in an interchange like that.
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RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(01 Jul 2023, 6:54 pm)Adrian wrote "apparently" and "probably"... did you see this for yourself?

There's of course no room to give staff abuse, if indeed that did happen, but part of the role of a bus station supervisor is to answer queries from members of the public. So whilst it's not great that GNE seem to have ceased to use Twitter for service updates without public reason, I think most people would prefer to have staff on hand in an interchange like that.
I didn't see it however one of my mates was using the X75 and he was there when nexus were given the updates
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
They don’t care about customer service anymore, it’s as simple as that and there’s no indication it will change.

It’s terminal decline, let’s wait and see whoever picks them off when Go Ahead get rid does with it. A clear out at Bensham would surely be too of the agenda
Wistfully stuck in the 90s
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(01 Jul 2023, 8:17 pm)Ambassador wrote They don’t care about customer service anymore, it’s as simple as that and there’s no indication it will change.

It’s terminal decline, let’s wait and see whoever picks them off when Go Ahead get rid does with it. A clear out at Bensham would surely be too of the agenda

And just wait until the employee pay terms rear their head too. It's almost like this MD just attracts it.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
THE 29 I GOT TO TOWN WAS LATE BUT STILL FOR SOMEREASON WAITED AT GATESHEAD METRO then he said to another driver who was waiting for his bus that he was waitng for a x1 to pass him so he could follow them as he had no idea where he was going from the map GNE has supplied!!
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(09 Jul 2023, 9:43 am)Unber43 wrote There wasn't a single 22A yesterday

Anything that was changing this weekend within Arriva wasn't showing up on Bus Times yesterday - so don't take anything on there as fact.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(09 Jul 2023, 9:50 am)Kuyoyo wrote Anything that was changing this weekend within Arriva wasn't showing up on Bus Times yesterday - so don't take anything on there as fact.

I was at Park Lane, I didn't see two in a row, so atleast two didn't run
Disruptions and driver shortages
(10 Jul 2023, 7:50 pm)Unber43 wrote I was at Park Lane, I didn't see two in a row, so atleast two didn't run


Service 22A doesn’t run anymore since Sunday morning, it’s just the 22 now, maybe the 22 was running extremely late due to the service running through the pit villages to get passengers to the yearly gathering through Durham City and maybe the tall ships event had a knock on effect for bus services nearby and traffic, a lot went on over the weekend.


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RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
Bookmark this Dan….praise for GNE

Fairly substantial queues for the 21 last Thursday around rush hour, a less than ideal 20 minute wait. 3 21s arrived…all passengers loaded into 1 21 with support from a very late 28 whilst the other ran straight out to scoop up Gate and Wilkinson passengers. The 3rd went not in service but we caught up with it loading up the even bigger queue at High Level Bridge

The second was lightly loaded and took the strain at Gateshead whilst we sailed through

Worked fairly well and while the 20 minute plus wait on a 7 min service isn’t fantastic. whether it was drivers using common sense or being directed, it worked out well. The long waits are becoming regular esp since central motorway fire and even beforehand but this was the first time I’ve seen positive proactive management
Wistfully stuck in the 90s
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
Heada up for anyone heading into town this weekend, particularly from the South of the River.

The wonderful northern pride parade ,which is worth a visit, means no services will serve Eldon Square or Haymarket for extended periods during Saturday
afternoon.

And added to that Central Motorway northbound is closed all weekend for demolition works following the fire.

God speed!
Wistfully stuck in the 90s
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
(20 Jul 2023, 9:14 pm)Ambassador wrote Heada up for anyone heading into town this weekend, particularly from the South of the River.

The wonderful northern pride parade ,which is worth a visit, means no services will serve Eldon Square or Haymarket for extended periods during Saturday
afternoon.

And added to that Central Motorway northbound is closed all weekend for demolition works following the fire.

God speed!

Would be better termimating all affected services at Gateshead and potentially MetroCentre with shuttles to and from Newcastle!
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages
Another SDC masterclass in service regulation today. Had intended to catch a Q3 into town from Gosforth as I planned to catch another GNE service afterwards, so I could use a day ticket rather than having to buy an Arriva single for the trip to town.

I'd just missed the (delayed) 12:55 from Great Park, and according to Bustimes the next ones were both stuck in the city centre. Two are now on their way to Great Park, 5807 which is 40 minutes late, and 5803 right behind which is 21 minutes late. Neither of those will be heading south through Gosforth for at least another 10-15 minutes, meaning it's been an hour without a bus.

I'm sure the residents of Great Park and Jesmond, for whom the Q3 is the only service, would have loved the hour long wait in the rain without any notice of disruption on the GNE app.

Would it have been too much to ask to send something NIS to Great Park to start a southbound near enough on time? Especially given the Pride parade was an event GNE were actively participating in?