(18 Jul 2024, 6:37 pm)Washingtonian wrote Fair comments. Yeah breadvans are not the best vehicles by any means but for me there's no denying they are a good option and suitable for certain times and situations. They were really useful during the Go-Ahead Northern era as they served places like Richmond Avenue in Washington Village, Dorset Avenue in Barley Mow, Malone Gardens in Birtley etc. The old Dodge/Renault breadvans were ridiculously small but the Optare Metroriders were ideal. They would really come in useful for the elderly going to and from the club or seeing friends on an evening and they could always pick up normal fare paying passengers as well. These days people are having to walk further to get to their nearest bus stop and some people can't walk that far. I've said it before that it's daft that we have easy access buses now but people have to walk further. There may be easy access to get on board but in a lot of areas it's not as easily accessible to get to a bus stop which defeats the object. Also if the weather is bad people will want to get on and off the bus as close to their home as possible especially if they are carrying shopping. I'm not saying the fleet needs to be plastered with breadvans but a handful would certainly be useful. I can't understand Nexus at times re capacity as the subsidised services often carry lower passenger numbers. It seems daft of them when they will cost them less to pay for too!

Fully agree about the hub and spoke model mind. It doesn't work at all now and hasn't for years and years. The timing between the X1 and 85 you mention is just laughable! No wonder passenger confidence is so low now. Sadly I very much doubt they care.

Aye it's a fair comment, to be honest I always think it's a shame there's no really any actually good low capacity vehicles. Metrorider's were alright really, quirky let's call them.

To be fair the routes just probably aren't sustainable nowadays though since the driver is one of the most expensive bits and whether you have 2 or 30 people on, it's all the same price.

Apart from Darlington, Arriva have pretty much abolished the whole midibus network really, excluding the 57/57A at Ashington. GNE aren't really far behind. It felt like wherever you went 10/15 year ago there were MPD's.

Riverside going to operate the 792?

I love the little buses at Darlington!

Ex EYMS decker STILL displaying an East Yorkshire branded safety notice inside and a 3 digit fleet number.

(24 Jul 2024, 4:02 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Ex EYMS decker STILL displaying an East Yorkshire branded safety notice inside and a 3 digit fleet number.

6195 or 6196?

(24 Jul 2024, 5:03 pm)omnicity4659 wrote 6195 or 6196?

Not sure, sorry. Forgot to look once I got off.

Passengers enjoying the delight of crumbling ex London stock

Whilst the commercial team enjoy using one of the shiny X Lines buses as…a meeting room and share it on twitter.

Will someone please give them some media training!

(24 Jul 2024, 10:54 pm)Ambassador wrote Passengers enjoying the delight of crumbling ex London stock

Whilst the commercial team enjoy using one of the shiny X Lines buses as…a meeting room and share it on twitter.

Will someone please give them some media training!

The bus is parked on the line backing onto Costco, so presumably awaiting attention to go back onto its respective Xlines route!

(25 Jul 2024, 7:21 am)omnicity4659 wrote The bus is parked on the line backing onto Costco, so presumably awaiting attention to go back onto its respective Xlines route!

It's the optics - its what GNE are so bad at.

Here's one of our fantastic vehicles.

Enjoy your leaking creaking B7 though

(24 Jul 2024, 10:54 pm)Ambassador wrote Passengers enjoying the delight of crumbling ex London stock

Whilst the commercial team enjoy using one of the shiny X Lines buses as…a meeting room and share it on twitter.

Will someone please give them some media training!

Looks like the bus is VOR to me, last in service 15/07

(24 Jul 2024, 10:54 pm)Ambassador wrote Passengers enjoying the delight of crumbling ex London stock

Whilst the commercial team enjoy using one of the shiny X Lines buses as…a meeting room and share it on twitter.

Will someone please give them some media training!

Not the most savvy commercial team either!

Turns out that the X30/X31/X32 & X70/X71/X73 total PVR is 12x.....with a lot of remote reliefs in Stanley too!

Why the hell didn't GNE integrate the X45 into the interworking pattern with most driver reliefs done in Consett? Yes some layovers would be short, but compensated with more generous layovers in Consett & Stanley
 Would be the same PVR but with fewer remote reliefs and more efficient driving hours. Max number of low height deckers needed would be 13x (still leaving 3x spare).

(25 Jul 2024, 4:52 pm)Blockybus wrote Looks like the bus is VOR to me, last in service 15/07

And the ordinary punters who see a 'posh' bus being used in a photo shoot know that?

Of course they don't.

(25 Jul 2024, 10:02 pm)Andreos1 wrote And the ordinary punters who see a 'posh' bus being used in a photo shoot know that?

Of course they don't.

Completely agree. Perception is everything. It doesn't matter if the bus has been VOR or it's doing handstands, people will see a meeting taking place in what is supposed to be their usual bus, whilst they're sat on a clapped out second hand bus.

Business leaders sometimes think that they're being clever for a cool LinkedIn post, but it merely shows their lack of grasp on reality. Get the basics right first.

(25 Jul 2024, 10:58 pm)Adrian wrote Completely agree. Perception is everything. It doesn't matter if the bus has been VOR or it's doing handstands, people will see a meeting taking place in what is supposed to be their usual bus, whilst they're sat on a clapped out second hand bus.

Business leaders sometimes think that they're being clever for a cool LinkedIn post, but it merely shows their lack of grasp on reality. Get the basics right first.

Yes this was my original point, it’s perception. The post I saw was from someone quite junior (judging by the attire). The usual sycophant (who also wears a hat) replied. The same folk who rate get your bum on board…

Ignoring the Dan shaped hole in the photo mind.

(25 Jul 2024, 11:34 pm)Ambassador wrote Yes this was my original point, it’s perception. The post I saw was from someone quite junior (judging by the attire). The usual sycophant (who also wears a hat) replied. The same folk who rate get your bum on board…

Ignoring the Dan shaped hole in the photo mind.

Have they taken the post down?  Can't see anything on Facebook or Twitter?  Though amusing they rightly seem to have taken a slating for trying to portray the ex London crap as "shiny new" diamonds.  Seems the public aren't as convinced by a lick of paint on an old banger as GNE seem to think.

(25 Jul 2024, 7:21 am)omnicity4659 wrote The bus is parked on the line backing onto Costco, so presumably awaiting attention to go back onto its respective Xlines route!

Ah don't say they've brainwashed you too?

*Lads, lasses, they/them's.
We've got another victim of the Riverside brainwashing machine living and breathing amongst us*. 

Look, the support is out there. You won't always be the defender of the Handy Drive decision makers. 
We are here to support you in the meantime.

---

(26 Jul 2024, 9:15 am)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Have they taken the post down?  Can't see anything on Facebook or Twitter?  Though amusing they rightly seem to have taken a slating for trying to portray the ex London crap as "shiny new" diamonds.  Seems the public aren't as convinced by a lick of paint on an old banger as GNE seem to think.

It's still kicking around.

(26 Jul 2024, 8:58 pm)Andreos1 wrote Ah don't say they've brainwashed you too?

*Lads, lasses, they/them's.
We've got another victim of the Riverside brainwashing machine living and breathing amongst us*. 

Look, the support is out there. You won't always be the defender of the Handy Drive decision makers. 
We are here to support you in the meantime.

Merely pointing out that the X10 decker is broken! 

I'm sure there's big organisations out there ready to patent the machine if its managed to brainwash the disillusioned ones amongst the forum. 

Imagine coming into Newcastle and wanting to see the sights on an advertised open top service, only to be greeted by this piece of trash from Percy Main.

Where are the perception and optics police when you need them?

(27 Jul 2024, 2:15 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Imagine coming into Newcastle and wanting to see the sights on an advertised open top service, only to be greeted by this piece of trash from Percy Main.

Where are the perception and optics police when you need them?

I'd be quite happy given today's weather...

(27 Jul 2024, 2:17 pm)d9817362 wrote I'd be quite happy given today's weather...

Well I suppose there are some people whom if you promised to give them a pound they'd be happy to receive a penny rather than nowt.

(27 Jul 2024, 2:15 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Imagine coming into Newcastle and wanting to see the sights on an advertised open top service, only to be greeted by this piece of trash from Percy Main.

Where are the perception and optics police when you need them?

Wonder what replaced it on its normal route?
Hopefully nothing sub-par.

(27 Jul 2024, 3:44 pm)Andreos1 wrote Wonder what replaced it on its normal route?
Hopefully nothing sub-par.

Looks to have been a DFDS B9 on the 309 all day, and the 307 has seen 3x 59-plate B9s (including a DFDS example).

(26 Jul 2024, 9:15 am)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Have they taken the post down?  Can't see anything on Facebook or Twitter?  Though amusing they rightly seem to have taken a slating for trying to portray the ex London crap as "shiny new" diamonds.  Seems the public aren't as convinced by a lick of paint on an old banger as GNE seem to think.

Speaking of which, there's one currently expired in the bus stop at Winlaton Mill when I passed about 10 minutes ago. 

So not only have you got a 'revamped', older vehicle branded for another route, but it's conked out too.

Deary me!

(26 Jul 2024, 8:58 pm)Andreos1 wrote Ah don't say they've brainwashed you too?

*Lads, lasses, they/them's.
We've got another victim of the Riverside brainwashing machine living and breathing amongst us*. 

Look, the support is out there. You won't always be the defender of the Handy Drive decision makers. 
We are here to support you in the meantime.

---

It's still kicking around.

THe USBs probably don't work.

I'm sure their meeting rooms always have a random rolling calendar pop bottle and a strange sticky patch that everyone tries to avoid.

(27 Jul 2024, 8:01 pm)BusLoverMum wrote I'm sure their meeting rooms always have a random rolling calendar pop bottle and a strange sticky patch that everyone tries to avoid.

I laughed too much at this…just missing the damp

Re the Open top. I’m not sure if it’s a weather decision or not but either way the rain was far less than forecast.

If it was weather, it’s a really strange call as it’s never that busy that the covered part of the top deck and the lower deck couldn’t be used and let’s be honest…no other operator would dream of doing this. Every major and non major city keeps its open tops out in bad weather.

Tho judging by bus times 6994 looks to have expired, another triumph for the engineering and planning teams

(27 Jul 2024, 9:53 pm)Ambassador wrote I laughed too much at this…just missing the damp

Re the Open top. I’m not sure if it’s a weather decision or not but either way the rain was far less than forecast.

If it was weather, it’s a really strange call as it’s never that busy that the covered part of the top deck and the lower deck couldn’t be used and let’s be honest…no other operator would dream of doing this. Every major and non major city keeps its open tops out in bad weather.

Tho judging by bus times 6994 looks to have expired, another triumph for the engineering and planning teams

Exactly this!

Plus if you wanted to make the argument for taking the open topper off because it's a bit wet then shouldn't it be replaced with the best vehicle you have?

After all, these punters are paying a premium to be driven around Shieldfield, Ouseburn, and Gateshead.

(27 Jul 2024, 9:53 pm)Ambassador wrote I laughed too much at this…just missing the damp

Re the Open top. I’m not sure if it’s a weather decision or not but either way the rain was far less than forecast.

If it was weather, it’s a really strange call as it’s never that busy that the covered part of the top deck and the lower deck couldn’t be used and let’s be honest…no other operator would dream of doing this. Every major and non major city keeps its open tops out in bad weather.

Tho judging by bus times 6994 looks to have expired, another triumph for the engineering and planning teams

There was three or four days in the middle of June when half the runs were operated by closed top B9s.  Presumably because they have zero spares given the stupid purchase of the non compliant B9s which seem to be spending the summer depreciating in Percy Main depot.  Baffled me why anyone would pay upwards of ten quid to sit on a normal service bus though the runs I saw looked understandably dead - novel approach to driving growth.  You have to wonder what GNE would be like if they ever appointed a competent management team.

---

(27 Jul 2024, 10:09 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Exactly this!

Plus if you wanted to make the argument for taking the open topper off because it's a bit wet then shouldn't it be replaced with the best vehicle you have?

After all, these punters are paying a premium to be driven around Shieldfield, Ouseburn, and Gateshead.

To be fair in terms of deckers at PM, the 63 plates are the best they've got...

(27 Jul 2024, 10:12 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote There was three or four days in the middle of June when half the runs were operated by closed top B9s.  Presumably because they have zero spares given the stupid purchase of the non compliant B9s which seem to be spending the summer depreciating in Percy Main depot.  Baffled me why anyone would pay upwards of ten quid to sit on a normal service bus though the runs I saw looked understandably dead - novel approach to driving growth.  You have to wonder what GNE would be like if they ever appointed a competent management team.

---

To be fair in terms of deckers at PM, the 63 plates are the best they've got...

Quite a poor show that they seem content to put closed top buses on a sightseeing tour which is advertised as being an open top service and on such a regular occurrence too, rather than having to pay £50 a day to send one of the non CAZ compliant B9TLs into Newcastle for the Toon Tour.

I remember when Blackpool Transport converted their Marton Mere Holiday Camp route 20 into their 'City Sightseeing Blackpool' service, one day a standard closed top decker turned up and some people actually ended up not boarding the service purely because it wasn't an open topper. Think Xplore Dundee had to send out an E400MMC on their open top tour of Dundee at least once last year too.

(27 Jul 2024, 10:29 pm)Jimmi wrote Quite a poor show 

The start of your post is a pretty accurate summary of the current state of the business as a whole to be fair.

An award winning tour as well…*cough* no spares is a crazy approach. Incompetent almost

On a serious note, standards and quality are continuing to drop. I’ll assume a mix of no budget, poor management and experienced colleagues leaving the business through redundancy/retirement/better offers combined with no succession planning and a limited supply of spare parts for major issues is causing the hiccup