(09 Aug 2023, 1:49 pm)Rob44 wrote is that why loads of customers just show there phone with the QR code viable to SCNE drivers?

Yes, and it's strangely amusing watching the ones that don't realise we don't have scanners.

I once had someone try to ram their phone in the bit the ticket comes out of. Someone else gave the machine a full on massage with a Stagecoach Dayrider as well, which, I'll be honest, was slightly terrifying.

(09 Aug 2023, 7:40 pm)F114TML wrote Yes, and it's strangely amusing watching the ones that don't realise we don't have scanners.

I once had someone try to ram their phone in the bit the ticket comes out of. Someone else gave the machine a full on massage with a Stagecoach Dayrider as well, which, I'll be honest, was slightly terrifying.

To be fair, they massage the ticketer machines too which is creepy, especially when they make eye contact with you.

(09 Aug 2023, 6:53 pm)Adrian wrote Yes. No facility to scan on the Vix ETMs that Stagecoach use.

Although GNE and Arriva both use Ticketer with the QR code scanning, but they don't share the hashes with each other, even for Network One. So something that should be simple, you still have to rely on manual checking of the ticket.

And for the new BSIP multi modal tickets there is the problem of tickets issued from Metro machines not have QR codes and barriers not accepting QR code bus tickets.

On the Coast Road Arriva QR codes certainly scan of GNE buses.

(10 Aug 2023, 9:50 am)busmanT wrote And for the new BSIP multi modal tickets there is the problem of tickets issued from Metro machines not have QR codes and barriers not accepting QR code bus tickets.

On the Coast Road Arriva QR codes certainly scan of GNE buses.

This is what happens when everybody does their own thing, rather than having any level of joined up thinking. 

There should be nothing stopping the BSIP multi-modal tickets being issued via the POP Pay As You Go scheme, developed under NESTi? According to the press release years ago now, this is exactly what it is supposed to do: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/smart...north-east

Having the BSIP tickets setup as a day cap for the value of each ticket and zone, and if anything, it'd be a lot more flexible to those using them. As we've seen with the Metro, the card can either be physical or virtual.

The Coast Road QR scanning is relatively new, but as I commented in that thread, it should act as a proof of concept of a wider scheme being delivered. Network One tickets, incl. Day Rovers and Explorers don't scan on other operators services throughout the region, and as you point out, there's no facility to scan them on the Metro.

(10 Aug 2023, 10:27 am)Adrian wrote This is what happens when everybody does their own thing, rather than having any level of joined up thinking. 

There should be nothing stopping the BSIP multi-modal tickets being issued via the POP Pay As You Go scheme, developed under NESTi? According to the press release years ago now, this is exactly what it is supposed to do: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/smart...north-east

Having the BSIP tickets setup as a day cap for the value of each ticket and zone, and if anything, it'd be a lot more flexible to those using them. As we've seen with the Metro, the card can either be physical or virtual.

The Coast Road QR scanning is relatively new, but as I commented in that thread, it should act as a proof of concept of a wider scheme being delivered. Network One tickets, incl. Day Rovers and Explorers don't scan on other operators services throughout the region, and as you point out, there's no facility to scan them on the Metro.

It seems like they developed POP and then abandoned it completely.

GNE should have abandoned the Key and moved the tickets over to using the POP cards, same with Arriva (and potentially Stagecoach, do they use a smart card?)

Now that I've got used to using Tap on Tap off on Arriva, I just can't stand using either the GNE app to buy a ticket, or buying a day ticket on the bus (it inevitably gets ruined before the end of the day).


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(09 Aug 2023, 7:40 pm)F114TML wrote Yes, and it's strangely amusing watching the ones that don't realise we don't have scanners.

I once had someone try to ram their phone in the bit the ticket comes out of. Someone else gave the machine a full on massage with a Stagecoach Dayrider as well, which, I'll be honest, was slightly terrifying.

Sounds intriguing, haha 

(10 Aug 2023, 10:27 am)Adrian wrote The Coast Road QR scanning is relatively new, but as I commented in that thread, it should act as a proof of concept of a wider scheme being delivered. Network One tickets, incl. Day Rovers and Explorers don't scan on other operators services throughout the region, and as you point out, there's no facility to scan them on the Metro.

I believe that that is exactly that, a 'proof of concept'.

I fully expect ANE and GNE to be sharing hashes on all multi-op (current and new) by the end of the year (across the region).

(10 Aug 2023, 10:33 am)streetdeckfan wrote It seems like they developed POP and then abandoned it completely.

GNE should have abandoned the Key and moved the tickets over to using the POP cards, same with Arriva (and potentially Stagecoach, do they use a smart card?)

Now that I've got used to using Tap on Tap off on Arriva, I just can't stand using either the GNE app to buy a ticket, or buying a day ticket on the bus (it inevitably gets ruined before the end of the day).


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did you every get you claims sorted??

(10 Aug 2023, 4:19 pm)Rob44 wrote did you every get you claims sorted??

I didn't, and tbh I forgot to complain again!

(10 Aug 2023, 6:29 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I didn't, and tbh I forgot to complain again!

Has it happened at all since you'd mentioned it on here? 

I've noticed the GPS on certain vehicles/Ticketer machines seem to be slightly different. On the way home my bus generally stops at a traffic lighted junction just before my stop, and occasionally the reader activates there which allows me to tap off while the bus is stopped there and just walk off the bus once it pulls up to the stop, however most readers don't activate until the bus is pulling up to/at the stop. I'm assuming this is a difference between different ticket machines, but I've not been bothered enough to remember if it's always the same vehicle(s) to confirm it.

(10 Aug 2023, 10:31 pm)mb134 wrote Has it happened at all since you'd mentioned it on here? 

I've noticed the GPS on certain vehicles/Ticketer machines seem to be slightly different. On the way home my bus generally stops at a traffic lighted junction just before my stop, and occasionally the reader activates there which allows me to tap off while the bus is stopped there and just walk off the bus once it pulls up to the stop, however most readers don't activate until the bus is pulling up to/at the stop. I'm assuming this is a difference between different ticket machines, but I've not been bothered enough to remember if it's always the same vehicle(s) to confirm it.

Since the road works at Tindale finished and the normal stop has been back in action, I haven't had any issues with it.

All drivers I've dealt with now seem to understand the existence of ToTo which is very much an improvement of when it first rolled out!

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In the 3 years this is running for ending in March they haven't done a lot really, a few new buses for 9 routes, and reduced fares for young adults for less than a year

Any updates on the electric buses for Sunderland?

£2 fare has been extended till December 2024..I think, so what about the £1/day tickets

(04 Oct 2023, 8:22 pm)Unber43 wrote £2 fare has been extended till December 2024..I think, so what about the £1/day tickets

Different things, £2 is government, £1 and day tickets were TNE and were suppose to be permanent.

And the TNE 19 and under day ticket is the £3 ticket.

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(04 Oct 2023, 9:41 pm)Adrian wrote And the TNE 19 and under day ticket is the £3 ticket.

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Correction - 21 & Under

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...n-28692629

Good to see more good use of this money by upgrading traffic lights along Barrack Road and Scotswood Road where there's massive delays to buses every day, hang on... It's very strange that the traffic lights along both these roads are conveniently old though...

Utter joke. Another £6.5m spent on everything but buses. I'm still waiting for one bus infrastructure upgrade, literally anywhere, which isn't a pointless bus station.

(24 Feb 2024, 10:17 am)Storx wrote https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...n-28692629

Good to see more good use of this money by upgrading traffic lights along Barrack Road and Scotswood Road where there's massive delays to buses every day, hang on... It's very strange that the traffic lights along both these roads are conveniently old though...

Utter joke. Another £6.5m spent on everything but buses. I'm still waiting for one bus infrastructure upgrade, literally anywhere, which isn't a pointless bus station.

And they'll take ages to "upgrade" them, then run out of money half way through i bet ya

(24 Feb 2024, 10:17 am)Storx wrote https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...n-28692629

Good to see more good use of this money by upgrading traffic lights along Barrack Road and Scotswood Road where there's massive delays to buses every day, hang on... It's very strange that the traffic lights along both these roads are conveniently old though...

Utter joke. Another £6.5m spent on everything but buses. I'm still waiting for one bus infrastructure upgrade, literally anywhere, which isn't a pointless bus station.

There's not much point, because when they build bus infrastructure they never give buses any more priority. Gateshead High Street, a new trafflic light for me to wait at, Gateshead Askew Road, another traffic light for me to wait at, Sunderland Southwick Road, a traffic light for me to wait at that doesn't even change after 8pm, Sunderland Bedford Street/John Street, a bunch of traffic lights just slowing buses down with no priority for them. 

I could probably go on, but the planners have seemingly no idea where the problems are, and us bus drivers have never been asked where we think the bottlenecks are.

(24 Feb 2024, 5:24 pm)V514DFT wrote And they'll take ages to "upgrade" them, then run out of money half way through i bet ya

No doubt they'll somehow make them worse aswell. Mind if it's anything like North Shields and Byker currently they'll have 4 way traffic lights causing absolute chaos.

(24 Feb 2024, 5:28 pm)deanmachine wrote There's not much point, because when they build bus infrastructure they never give buses any more priority. Gateshead High Street, a new trafflic light for me to wait at, Gateshead Askew Road, another traffic light for me to wait at, Sunderland Southwick Road, a traffic light for me to wait at that doesn't even change after 8pm, Sunderland Bedford Street/John Street, a bunch of traffic lights just slowing buses down with no priority for them. 

I could probably go on, but the planners have seemingly no idea where the problems are, and us bus drivers have never been asked where we think the bottlenecks are.

Aye not surprised at all, there seems to be a complete obsession with the things lately.

I'm not sure how the bus priority works at them, but personally I'm really confused how that would work along on all 3 routes mentioned here considering none of them have a bus lane. How can you let a bus through, if it's stuck behind a car, just sounds like some complete bs to me as an excuse to use bus funding to do them instead.

It's same with this stuff about setting them up to improve flow, yet you go along somewhere like Scotswood Road and you'll get stuck at every set of lights which suggests to be they're not setup right - at all.

The improvements to Gateshead are much worse,

Heading into town you get caught on before turning onto Askew Road, then held for ages at the Askew junction with wellington street then held again at the Tyne bridge then inevitably the pedestrian crossing is on red.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68543962

Interesting reading.

(13 Mar 2024, 1:27 pm)Andreos1 wrote https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68543962

Interesting reading.

Not surprising though. 

It comes back to the never-ending chicken and egg situation. Too many cars on the road creating congestion, but public transport isn't good enough nor has the capacity to handle a sudden modal shift. 

There's a good opportunity to impress with the upcoming Tyne Bridge works, which hopefully would encourage some modal shift if the experience is positive, but I fear it'll be the opposite.

(13 Mar 2024, 1:27 pm)Andreos1 wrote https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68543962

Interesting reading.

Notice in other reports of this that Arriva Yorkshire are listed as the worst in the survey. 

Obviously the management of Arriva NE and Yorkshire is the same now, clearly the person in charge isn't very good at their job given the decline of ANE as well.

“Passengers who sat next to someone they didn’t know are significantly less satisfied than those who didn’t.”

Yeah, the industry is never going to keep new customers if that is what it's own customers think. There is no avoiding that one. It's the ultimate reason why a meaningful shift to public transport will simply not happen.

(15 Mar 2024, 10:38 am)DeltaMan wrote “Passengers who sat next to someone they didn’t know are significantly less satisfied than those who didn’t.”

Yeah, the industry is never going to keep new customers if that is what it's own customers think. There is no avoiding that one. It's the ultimate reason why a meaningful shift to public transport will simply not happen.

I think that one has to be taken in context though. This tends to only ever happen on really busy to crowded buses, and I'd say most of us are naturally more dissatisfied when on one of them. You add to this that when buses are that busy, and aren't express services, they tend to run late as it takes longer for people to board and alight.

I'm not suggesting everyone needs their own private bus or anything like that, but buses aren't the most comfortable mode of transport when busy, especially versus say a train or plane. It's even worst still when you end up with people standing over you. 

In my opinion, there's some practical and proactive steps that operators do to try and combat some of this. For a start, better regulation of late running services is key. To give an example, only last week I was in Newcastle, and there was a queue right back through the bus station for the X1. Half an hour's worth of passengers, as both the 18.11 and 18.26 were arriving at the same time. Instead of the late bus taking passengers for Washington only (for example) directly to Washington NIS, then starting back on time from there, we ended up with one bus packed, another with barely any on, bunny hopping each other all the way to the Galleries. The result? Two buses running late, instead of potentially having both running on time.

Nexus need to spend some cash on the seats at Haymarket, they are in a poor state and the one with red and white tape on with a sticker saying do not sit here on Stand V has been like that for a while now.

(15 Mar 2024, 11:52 am)Adrian wrote I think that one has to be taken in context though. This tends to only ever happen on really busy to crowded buses, and I'd say most of us are naturally more dissatisfied when on one of them. You add to this that when buses are that busy, and aren't express services, they tend to run late as it takes longer for people to board and alight.

I'm not suggesting everyone needs their own private bus or anything like that, but buses aren't the most comfortable mode of transport when busy, especially versus say a train or plane. It's even worst still when you end up with people standing over you. 

In my opinion, there's some practical and proactive steps that operators do to try and combat some of this. For a start, better regulation of late running services is key. To give an example, only last week I was in Newcastle, and there was a queue right back through the bus station for the X1. Half an hour's worth of passengers, as both the 18.11 and 18.26 were arriving at the same time. Instead of the late bus taking passengers for Washington only (for example) directly to Washington NIS, then starting back on time from there, we ended up with one bus packed, another with barely any on, bunny hopping each other all the way to the Galleries. The result? Two buses running late, instead of potentially having both running on time.

That second bus would still likely run late, as it'd then be picking up two bus loads of people between newcastle and washington, likely with the driver getting a nice earful at every stop too.

Punters on Radio Newcastle page have their say on the new middle of the night airport service. 
https://www.facebook.com/share/KYkVbs5aStytQyLe

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