Just realising a key thing Arriva need to do with their fleet is improve the communication available with drivers.

It was interesting when the x22 arrived late at Great Park today, the driver got off to contact the depot by phone to see if he was required to turn back at Regent Centre or continue to town. It's actually good to see Arriva being proactive like that today, I've never seen it since Jesmond closed and they couldn't change things at Haymarket. But surely they need to invest in a better system than drivers stopping and having to make calls.

(07 Jul 2024, 11:11 am)Shrek wrote Just realising a key thing Arriva need to do with their fleet is improve the communication available with drivers.

It was interesting when the x22 arrived late at Great Park today, the driver got off to contact the depot by phone to see if he was required to turn back at Regent Centre or continue to town. It's actually good to see Arriva being proactive like that today, I've never seen it since Jesmond closed and they couldn't change things at Haymarket. But surely they need to invest in a better system than drivers stopping and having to make calls.

They do use communication via Ticketer, but a number of the drivers prefer the use of a phone.

(07 Jul 2024, 11:38 am)RobinHood wrote They do use communication via Ticketer, but a number of the drivers prefer the use of a phone.

Indeed, the use of Ticketer seems to be fairly commonplace on late running express services into Newcastle at Regent Centre. I've experienced it myself on a number of occasions either when waiting for a bus there, or when already on one. At least I'm assuming it's communicated via Ticketer, as I've never seen them phone it in. 

Drivers tend to be pretty good at ensuring all passengers get onto the next available bus too.

(07 Jul 2024, 11:38 am)RobinHood wrote They do use communication via Ticketer, but a number of the drivers prefer the use of a phone.

That's interesting, I wasn't aware of that. How does that work out of interest?

Whats going on with the 3 left E200's at Durham. Weren't they meant to be a part of a pulsar swap with Yorkshire to have all of Arrivas E200's down there? I swear I heard that somewhere. I know some went down but no pulsars came up in return...

Understand if back in the days before interworking became a common thing to save money. But the 1503 308 ex Newcastle was displaying "308 Newcastle" rather than "308 Blyth". My first thoughts was is the bus going to Tynemouth or Blyth given that a 308 heading into Newcastle would change to "306 Tynemouth".

(16 Jul 2024, 2:24 pm)L469 YVK wrote Understand if back in the days before interworking became a common thing to save money. But the 1503 308 ex Newcastle was displaying "308 Newcastle" rather than "308 Blyth". My first thoughts was is the bus going to Tynemouth or Blyth given that a 308 heading into Newcastle would change to "306 Tynemouth".

Realistically majority of passengers won't know that the services interwork, will see it's a 308 and stop the bus. 

Chances are the options for Blyth and Newcastle are right next to each other on the controller and the driver hasn't clicked far enough through.

(16 Jul 2024, 2:35 pm)PH - BQA wrote Realistically majority of passengers won't know that the services interwork, will see it's a 308 and stop the bus. 

Chances are the options for Blyth and Newcastle are right next to each other on the controller and the driver hasn't clicked far enough through.

But what if that had've been a 306 though ex Newcastle and a passenger ended up either missing the 306 or alternatively, accidentally ended up un Tynemouth?

(16 Jul 2024, 4:17 pm)L469 YVK wrote But what if that had've been a 306 though ex Newcastle and a passenger ended up either missing the 306 or alternatively, accidentally ended up un Tynemouth?

But it wasn't? 

You could use that argument with literally any incorrectly screened bus. Given it was a 308, screened as a 308, I think most people would deduce that it was, in fact, a 308.