Institutional blindness. GCT are cheap. There is literally no other explanation

I'm assuming that is part of the rules that Nexus have to follow. Councils have to provide value for money, so I assume it would be hard for Nexus to justify passing on the lowest bid.

I'm assuming that is part of the rules that Nexus have to follow. Councils have to provide value for money, so I assume it would be hard for Nexus to justify passing on the lowest bid.

Yeah but if the lowest bid doesn't fulfill the contracts satisfactoraly, then surely that's justification enough?

Yeah but if the lowest bid doesn't fulfill the contracts satisfactoraly, then surely that's justification enough?

Last year we put in for a tender with Sunderland Council and were rejected because we were 'too cheap' despite meeting all the criteria.
Either they didn't believe that we could do it for that price, or they already had the winner of the contract chosen and needed to find a reason to rule us out

Last year we put in for a tender with Sunderland Council and were rejected because we were 'too cheap' despite meeting all the criteria.
Either they didn't believe that we could do it for that price, or they already had the winner of the contract chosen and needed to find a reason to rule us out

What is your company?

Wts the changes to 50

Seems to just be a Timetable change

Seems to just be a Timetable change

Two extra trips, an early one and a very late one.

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/service-ch...march-2024

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/service-ch...march-2024

can see some confused punters there.  !

Have they missed off the x39 change?

In partnership with Gateshead Council, Metrocentre, Newcastle City Council and Nexus, we will be providing a park and ride service from the Metrocentre Coach Park.

At all times, services will continue to serve the Metrocentre Interchange and provide a bus every few minutes between Metrocentre and Newcastle

X66 "I'm I joke to you"

Have they missed off the x39 change?

Seem to have missed the Q3 too.

Seem to have missed the Q3 too.

Werid thing is it wasn't registered either. It wasn't in the most recent registration

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/service-ch...march-2024

Newcastle Park & Ride

In partnership with Gateshead Council, Metrocentre, Newcastle City Council and Nexus, we will be providing a park and ride service from the Metrocentre Coach Park. Services 6, 10, 10A, 10B, 47, X45 and X66 will all serve the stop in the Coach Park until 10am. At all times, services will continue to serve the Metrocentre Interchange and provide a bus every few minutes between Metrocentre and Newcastle all day. When heading back from Newcastle, buses will only serve the Interchange, not the Coach Park. 

How much were we told this contract was worth? 
Genuinely can't believe it's even a thing.

Seem to have missed the Q3 too.

They have took it of the nexus page that told us they went through with it. It now mentions the 35 going via Osborne Road but no mentions of the Q3 anymore

Newcastle Park & Ride

In partnership with Gateshead Council, Metrocentre, Newcastle City Council and Nexus, we will be providing a park and ride service from the Metrocentre Coach Park. Services 6, 10, 10A, 10B, 47, X45 and X66 will all serve the stop in the Coach Park until 10am. At all times, services will continue to serve the Metrocentre Interchange and provide a bus every few minutes between Metrocentre and Newcastle all day. When heading back from Newcastle, buses will only serve the Interchange, not the Coach Park.

Am I reading it correctly that the service will pick you up near where you park, but then coming back it will be a walk from the Interchange?? So literally just a service FROM the coach park and no return?  Why would anyone do this?  How is it any better than just parking in Blue multi and getting on and off an Interchange?

Newcastle Park & Ride

In partnership with Gateshead Council, Metrocentre, Newcastle City Council and Nexus, we will be providing a park and ride service from the Metrocentre Coach Park. Services 6, 10, 10A, 10B, 47, X45 and X66 will all serve the stop in the Coach Park until 10am. At all times, services will continue to serve the Metrocentre Interchange and provide a bus every few minutes between Metrocentre and Newcastle all day. When heading back from Newcastle, buses will only serve the Interchange, not the Coach Park.

Am I reading it correctly that the service will pick you up near where you park, but then coming back it will be a walk from the Interchange?? So literally just a service FROM the coach park and no return?  Why would anyone do this?  How is it any better than just parking in Blue multi and getting on and off an Interchange?

I believe that technically you can’t park in the main mall car parks all day or you risk a fine, hence the coach park which is where staff park. 

It is an utterly pointless use of resource

Newcastle Park & Ride

In partnership with Gateshead Council, Metrocentre, Newcastle City Council and Nexus, we will be providing a park and ride service from the Metrocentre Coach Park. Services 6, 10, 10A, 10B, 47, X45 and X66 will all serve the stop in the Coach Park until 10am. At all times, services will continue to serve the Metrocentre Interchange and provide a bus every few minutes between Metrocentre and Newcastle all day. When heading back from Newcastle, buses will only serve the Interchange, not the Coach Park.

Am I reading it correctly that the service will pick you up near where you park, but then coming back it will be a walk from the Interchange?? So literally just a service FROM the coach park and no return?  Why would anyone do this?  How is it any better than just parking in Blue multi and getting on and off an Interchange?

Tbh, given the short distance across the bridge, I'm surprised they're even bothering stopping there.
Presumably the only reason they're doing it is because there's already a stop there, and it goes past.

If there's ever a reason for privatisation then this is it.

I've never worked in anything bus related but no-one sane and I mean no-one is going to walk for 10 minutes to catch a bus which sits in the EXACT same traffic as you would driving straight into work.

Intact you might actually sit in LESS traffic since you'd use Scotswood Road or alternatively the West End rather than the Redheugh Bridge.

Absolutely clueless idiots and to make it worse it's blowing the bus 'improvement' fund aswell - mind I'm unsure what they're exactly paying for. Yet again more incompetence.

I assume stopping at the Metrocentre isn't costing anything. As far as I can see there are no extra buses or drivers or anything. The only obvious cost is the registration fee to the traffic commissioner to change the routes. So one has to assume either the Metrocentre are getting some money for allowing use of the car park, or virtually all the money is being used on the priority measures in Jesmond?

I believe that technically you can’t park in the main mall car parks all day or you risk a fine, hence the coach park which is where staff park. 

It is an utterly pointless use of resource

yep, if you check the signs you cant "park and ride." And they do check especially if you car shows up on there logs everyday. Same as staff there - they can olny park in coach park. not allowed in customer car parks

yep, if you check the signs you cant "park and ride." And they do check especially if you car shows up on there logs everyday. Same as staff there - they can olny park in coach park. not allowed in customer car parks

Surely that's completely unenforceable since they have to prove without a question of doubt that you're using the car park to P&R.

Logging the car being there all day, isn't evidence as you could just be a weirdo who lives your life in the Metrocentre.

Obviously staff is easier, as they physically work there, so it's easier to proove.

I assume stopping at the Metrocentre isn't costing anything. As far as I can see there are no extra buses or drivers or anything. The only obvious cost is the registration fee to the traffic commissioner to change the routes. So one has to assume either the Metrocentre are getting some money for allowing use of the car park, or virtually all the money is being used on the priority measures in Jesmond?

I was looking last night, to see what the breakdown of costs were. 
Our chief FOI requestor may need to get on the case as the media seems to have lumped the Metrocentre and Jesmond schemes in to one pot.

Surely that's completely unenforceable since they have to prove without a question of doubt that you're using the car park to P&R.

Logging the car being there all day, isn't evidence as you could just be a weirdo who lives your life in the Metrocentre.

Obviously staff is easier, as they physically work there, so it's easier to proove.

its part of the contract you agree to when you park there.  Its even on the signs in car park, no parking on double yellows, must be in a bay, no parking and riding.   im sure some of these firms would find a way of proving you weren't using the spaces for what you agree by parking there in the first place.

its part of the contract you agree to when you park there.  Its even on the signs in car park, no parking on double yellows, must be in a bay, no parking and riding.   im sure some of these firms would find a way of proving you weren't using the spaces for what you agree by parking there in the first place.

It might be, but it's on them to prove that your not using them properly. 

I'd be very surprised if they spent hours and hours going through CCTV footage to prove that your parked there as it's the only way which would no doubt cost more than the parking charge anyway. 

You'd get away with it easily imo, especially considering the place is dead most the time anyway.

It might be, but it's on them to prove that your not using them properly. 

I'd be very surprised if they spent hours and hours going through CCTV footage to prove that your parked there as it's the only way which would no doubt cost more than the parking charge anyway. 

You'd get away with it easily imo, especially considering the place is dead most the time anyway.

i asume if you did it once they could hardly do nything but i could imaging it being alot cheaper to park there and get a bus to newcastle if you worked there?? those are the people its aimed at

Nat sure when you were last there but i was there on  tuesday after 6 pm and it was alot busier than I thought it would be

i asume if you did it once they could hardly do nything but i could imaging it being alot cheaper to park there and get a bus to newcastle if you worked there?? those are the people its aimed at

Nat sure when you were last there but i was there on  tuesday after 6 pm and it was alot busier than I thought it would be

Depends where you're coming from, I'd argue if you're going to do that, just get on the bus from the front door and save the drive completely. All your doing is driving for 20 minutes and getting on the same bus because of where it is, doesn't make much sense really but let's be honest if your commuting to Newcastle during the day, you're probably not on £2 an hour. I'd be very surprised if there's many people driving for miles to work on a minimum wage in a shop so the price is probably irrelevant tbh.

Whenever I've been lately both L4 and L5 are shut in the blue car park now like.

Is the X78 likely to have NSAs? Presumably it will be operated by Riverside?

It might be, but it's on them to prove that your not using them properly. 

I'd be very surprised if they spent hours and hours going through CCTV footage to prove that your parked there as it's the only way which would no doubt cost more than the parking charge anyway. 

You'd get away with it easily imo, especially considering the place is dead most the time anyway.

Tbh I try to avoid the place nowadays, it's been like a ghost town the few times I've been in on an evening, hardly surprising as there's more empty units than anything useful - sad really.

Be interested to know if or how they enforce the 'no park and riding' element. Unless there's a time limit on the parking (and pretty sure there isn't) they would literally have to follow people individually on camera to watch where people walked as (I think) most people would park in blue multi and go into shopping centre to then access the interchange.

Anyhow - either way it is a stupid scheme.  If it is worth running and they are crowing about stopping there to take people to town, it can't also be such a short walk back on foot that it doesnt matter it doesnt stop there on the return.  I wonder if there is another "Park and ride" service on the planet that only serves the car park in one direction!

I attended a partner event today to encourage sustainable travel.

Cobalt’s travel team were entirely unaware of the changes to the X39 and spent most of the time directing people to the 22X. Someone mentioned the changes but with no note on the website, stagecoach got the big PR win though nothing that loads won’t already tell you about how badly gne have fudged the cobalt commuter expresses

Quite embarrassing- bring Dan back haha

The Q3 isn't changing after all. Spoke to a driver about it on Tuesday night and he said it's still going to severe Osborne Road.