Theres a board missing off the 342

(21 Mar 2024, 11:46 am)nova347 wrote Theres a board missing off the 342

Just not tracking. It's YX21RUO.

Does anyone know if SK24CTU is out today? CTO is on the 19, but CTU isn't tracking on anything.

Wonder if there's more due as SK24CTE definitely exists and is owned by Mistral who are the ones where Gateshead Central Taxi are loaning these from. There's a few others aswell SK24CTF, SK24CTW, SK24CWO which they've just got listed aswell but aren't listed on the chassis list yet.

https://www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk/index...stName=401&Type=Chassis&Page=9&WW=0
https://www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk/searchresults.asp?searchown=Mistral (Stock)&Pageno=0

(21 Mar 2024, 6:45 pm)Storx wrote Wonder if there's more due as SK24CTE definitely exists and is owned by Mistral who are the ones where Gateshead Central Taxi are loaning these from. There's a few others aswell SK24CTF, SK24CTW, SK24CWO which they've just got listed aswell but aren't listed on the chassis list yet.

https://www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk/index...stName=401&Type=Chassis&Page=9&WW=0
https://www.buslistsontheweb.co.uk/searchresults.asp?searchown=Mistral (Stock)&Pageno=0

They were due five or six in total (due to +5 PVR on 335/351/359 and +1 PVR on 653).


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(21 Mar 2024, 7:31 pm)Dan wrote They were due five or six in total (due to +5 PVR on 335/351/359 and +1 PVR on 653).


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Aye that's fair, wasn't sure how many they were getting as it's hard to tell whether they have enough buses or not lately. Feels like they had too many Enviro 200 MMC's for the work they had.

Guessing they're the 6 plates of them then, pretty much.

I’m hoping they’re bigger than Enviro 200MMCs that they already use in North Tyneside. Some journeys on the 351 are almost fully seated on the GNE Streetlites as they reach the Coast Road and on afternoon journeys from Newcastle. As we’re supposed to be increasing use of buses surely the last thing we want is to stand on a crowded midi bus.

(21 Mar 2024, 8:13 pm)RMF1254 wrote I’m hoping they’re bigger than  Enviro 200MMCs that they already use in North Tyneside. Some journeys on the 351 are almost fully seated on the GNE Streetlites as they reach the Coast Road and on afternoon journeys from Newcastle. As we’re supposed to be increasing use of buses surely the last thing we want is to stand on a crowded midi bus.

They're not, it's only tendered for a minibus aswell unless it's been changed in recent times, even known the Enviro 200 MMC's with GCT have a ridiculous capacity for standees.

(21 Mar 2024, 8:13 pm)RMF1254 wrote I’m hoping they’re bigger than  Enviro 200MMCs that they already use in North Tyneside. Some journeys on the 351 are almost fully seated on the GNE Streetlites as they reach the Coast Road and on afternoon journeys from Newcastle. As we’re supposed to be increasing use of buses surely the last thing we want is to stand on a crowded midi bus.

Ask Nexus what the spec of the contract should be and if the bus is less than the permitted minimum service standards complain to nexus

(21 Mar 2024, 9:39 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote Ask Nexus what the spec of the contract should be and if the bus is less than the permitted minimum service standards complain to nexus

The short wheelbase E200MMCs at Gateshead Central allow for a total capacity (including standees) of at least 60 passengers, which meets the maximum “single deck” contract capacity issued by Nexus (though most of these tenders are actually 36 or 55).

Despite the relatively low number of seats, there is an absurd number of standees on those buses.


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(22 Mar 2024, 4:48 am)Dan wrote The short wheelbase E200MMCs at Gateshead Central allow for a total capacity (including standees) of at least 60 passengers, which meets the maximum “single deck” contract capacity issued by Nexus (though most of these tenders are actually 36 or 55).

Despite the relatively low number of seats, there is an absurd number of standees on those buses.


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The way some of the GCT drivers drive from my experience with them, standing journeys could be quite an adventure! Hold on tight.

(22 Mar 2024, 8:03 am)Shrek wrote The way some of the GCT drivers drive from my experience with them, standing journeys could be quite an adventure! Hold on tight.

I completely agree, however in my experience given the tendency for GCT to run early, I'd expect a sizeable number of passengers to miss the bus anyway. One way to reduce the number of standees if nothing else!

(23 Mar 2024, 11:23 am)tynesider wrote I completely agree, however in my experience given the tendency for GCT to run early, I'd expect a sizeable number of passengers to miss the bus anyway. One way to reduce the number of standees if nothing else!

Lots of the 351 services seem to have run very early today, this in particular is totally unacceptable - https://bustimes.org/vehicles/ghct-sk24-.../557426200

(24 Mar 2024, 7:02 pm)Thomas12 wrote Lots of the 351 services seem to have run very early today, this in particular is totally unacceptable - https://bustimes.org/vehicles/ghct-sk24-.../557426200

Nexus won't care if

Gct don't accept tickets, shout at you, be rude, don't run, swear and be total di(k, go the wrong way, or run early 

Nexus don't care how GCT run anymore. The amount of complaining I've seen from them over the past few years and past drivers telling me how they ran. Nexus clearly would have done something but didn't. Come on 2 years ago they were running 7 buses without tax or mot and it took someone to finally notice. Was it sorted who knows at this point 

Imo gct run the North Tyneside/Gateshead stuff shocking but Durham completely fine. But I can't wait for this response I'll get off this

Popcorn is at the ready

Probably because DCC is harsher than Nexus would be my guess.

I am not surprised it runs early the speed it was driving (not 20mph past the civic) course it made time up if not extra

However what this does show is that the service can be tweaked and extra bit added to the route...

Those minutes could actually make the bus go to Northumberland Park "interchange" and still be on time back to the Haymarket ???

Agree that they're pretty on the ball on Durham. If they are running late, everyone is running late, simply due to Durham being a network of pinch points. Only experienced one driver who has been less than lovely.

(24 Mar 2024, 7:02 pm)Thomas12 wrote Lots of the 351 services seem to have run very early today, this in particular is totally unacceptable - https://bustimes.org/vehicles/ghct-sk24-.../557426200

I was waiting for SK24 CTO coming in from Whitley Bay to get a photo of it by Newcastle University library (the lighting is better there than St. Mary’s Place). The tracker when I checked it said it was due in around 6/7 minutes and it came flying past within a minute so I missed it as was seeing how far away it was, resulting in dashing to Haymarket to catch it coming back out https://flic.kr/p/2pFaTai.


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(24 Mar 2024, 9:37 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote I am not surprised it runs early the speed it was driving (not 20mph past the civic) course it made time up if not extra

However what this does show is that the service can be tweaked and extra bit added to the route...

Those minutes could actually make the bus go to Northumberland Park "interchange" and still be on time back to the Haymarket ???

I don't think the buses today would have run so early if they had bothered to stop and pick up anyone !! SK24 CTU sailed past me and another intending passenger at the Corner House a good 6 mins early and no passengers on board, despite both of us sticking arms out. Caught a 306 a few minutes later and passed CTU parked up waiting time outside the TA. The return journey from Haymarket at 18.10 has already been mentioned above.

I look forward to observing timekeeping on the service 653 tomorrow from the comfort of my front window.

How hard can it be to stick to a speed limit and look at a running board?

They are truly pathetic.

(24 Mar 2024, 9:29 pm)nova347 wrote Probably because DCC is harsher than Nexus would be my guess.

I would actually say it’s the other way around. Nexus is usually a lot stricter on adhering to contract compliance (indeed have recently recruited for, and appointed, a Bus Contract Manager position).

In my view, it is probably more a case of different rotas - drivers on Durham work being more disciplined than those in North Tyneside. To mobilise the contracts for today, GCT would need to recruit c.15 extra drivers, which, in a pool of recruiting existing PCV drivers only, is actually quite difficult to achieve (so they probably are a bit slap dash on quality standards).


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(25 Mar 2024, 6:42 am)Dan wrote I would actually say it’s the other way around. Nexus is usually a lot stricter on adhering to contract compliance (indeed have recently recruited for, and appointed, a Bus Contract Manager position).

In my view, it is probably more a case of different rotas - drivers on Durham work being more disciplined than those in North Tyneside. To mobilise the contracts for today, GCT would need to recruit c.15 extra drivers, which, in a pool of recruiting existing PCV drivers only, is actually quite difficult to achieve (so they probably are a bit slap dash on quality standards).

Some of those DCC contracts that GCT hold are a bit more difficult to cut corners on, especially the way some of those routes are fairly direct.

May need to find a few further drivers to facilitate Sunday operation of the PR1 in Durham from April 7th.

Any boards missing today as I doubt GCT will have recruited 15 drivers, but PR1 i think will be ran purely on drivers wanting to do overtime

Tonight 351 service (2128 from Haymarket) Destination display states it's off to Whitley Bay via Holystone and stops next to a 308/309 stop (sigh)

On a positive note there was one passenger on board!

Nexus have probably played a blinder here.

Shuffle off the contract to the most cost effective bidder who doesn’t do a fabulous job for the mainly twirlys, enthusiasts and kids who use the service and they go elsewhere.

Launch a consultation citing low numbers and end up cutting the service before the problems hand over to Angel Bus network. Genius

(25 Mar 2024, 10:43 pm)Ambassador wrote Nexus have probably played a blinder here.

Shuffle off the contract to the most cost effective bidder who doesn’t do a fabulous job for the mainly twirlys, enthusiasts and kids who use the service and they go elsewhere.

Launch a consultation citing low numbers and end up cutting the service before the problems hand over to Angel Bus network. Genius

To be fair, as far as I'm aware, they ran every service today and pretty much on time aswell across the board.

It's a much better show than the operator, who used to run the (3)51, who had 4 hour gaps on the 308 and 2 hour gaps on the X22 today.

But i've said it before GCT will never, ever, ever made a bus service profitable.

(25 Mar 2024, 11:40 pm)Unber43 wrote But i've said it before GCT will never, ever, ever made a bus service profitable.

Their latest accounts would argue that point 

Though in reality, true public service shouldn’t ever make a profit

(26 Mar 2024, 12:36 am)Ambassador wrote Their latest accounts would argue that point 

Though in reality, true public service shouldn’t ever make a profit

I think Unber43’s point was probably that the subsidised services ran by Gateshead Central will never see passenger growth to allow them to no longer be subsidised.

As GCT have no commercial bus services, it is clear they have no intention of growing patronage on them. Arguably on a Minimum Cost contract, they have no reason to attempt to do so.


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(26 Mar 2024, 8:14 am)Dan wrote I think Unber43’s point was probably that the subsidised services ran by Gateshead Central will never see passenger growth to allow them to no longer be subsidised.

As GCT have no commercial bus services, it is clear they have no intention of growing patronage on them. Arguably on a Minimum Cost contract, they have no reason to attempt to do so.


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You could compare the impact they had with GNE and the 96 or 97.
Without them winning the contract, that service would have never become commercially successful overnight.

Conversely, you could look at GNE's decision making on the 71 and GCT having to step in and save the day.