Customer Consultation forms were available at Durham Bus Station today for proposed new services:
80/81 Durham, Elvet, Bowburn, Coxhoe, Kelloe, Quarrington Hill, Cassop, Shadforth, Sherburn, Dragonville, Claypath, Durham.
X20 Cockfield, Evenwood, West Auckland, Tindale Cresent, Bishop Auckland, Spennymoor, Durham, non stop to Metrocentre.
www.simplybuses.com

(14 Jan 2015, 4:44 pm)GuyParkRoyal wrote Customer Consultation forms were available at Durham Bus Station today for proposed new services:
80/81 Durham, Elvet, Bowburn, Coxhoe, Kelloe, Quarrington Hill, Cassop, Shadforth, Sherburn, Dragonville, Claypath, Durham.
X20 Cockfield, Evenwood, West Auckland, Tindale Cresent, Bishop Auckland, Spennymoor, Durham, non stop to Metrocentre.
www.simplybuses.com

Would this therefore replace the current X24 Durham to MetroCentre via Chester le Street, Personally think this would be a cracking Service that would open up quite a lot of Job Opportunities for those living between Bishop Auckland and Cockfield. 

Who are Simply Buses?

The website doesn't give much away and cant find out much elsewhere.

palatine3833 may be able to shed further light!

I wonder if someone's been partially inspired by the publicity Spirit Buses has received and decided to do something similar?

(14 Jan 2015, 4:55 pm)Andreos1 wrote Who are Simply Buses?

The website doesn't give much away and cant find out much elsewhere.

They seem to be taking an anonymous approach even the paper questionnaire has nothing on it to say who Simply Buses are. Not even a postcode the form just has a return address of Freepost Simply Buses.
I will try to match the typeset and paper quailty with some of the timetables that I have to see if that gives any clues.

palatine3833 will have a very good idea who is behind it...!

I just did the online survey for the X20 and it said they will contact me within 5 days. Not sure how as there is no where to put contact details on the survey.

I also put that I'd like the service to stop at Croxdale Rogerson Terrace.

Just been on their fb and twitter pages.

According to fb, the address is in Bensham - either on the Racecourse Estate or in the hospital grounds.

There is also a phone number on the fb page.

(14 Jan 2015, 5:06 pm)MurdnunoC wrote I wonder if someone's been partially inspired by the publicity Spirit Buses has received and decided to do something similar?

Hopefully! I've completed the survey, seeing as it's on my door step. Nothing through the door, but noticed the Parish Council are promoting it too. 

People round this area are sick of Arriva, and their complete disregard for passengers who use their local services. Their services are full to bursting at peak times, because of the deal Arriva have with Durham Uni, yet they're unwilling to sensibly look at the issues. 

(14 Jan 2015, 9:34 pm)aureolin wrote People round this area are sick of Arriva, and their complete disregard for passengers who use their local services. Their services are full to bursting at peak times, because of the deal Arriva have with Durham Uni, yet they're unwilling to sensibly look at the issues. 

The 64 is also full to bursting at times because of New College students and Frmawellgate school kids. Had to put up with buses going past full for two years and what have they done, allocate buses with less seats - ridiculous!

I'm interested to see how these services come out, I think the X20 suggestion could maybe be good especially if it runs hourly during the daytime and the Arriva X24 used to be busy at times when it used to run at Bishop Auckland but not sure how it would do as an hourly service. Also think 30 minutes between Durham and the MetroCentre is incredibly tight especially with the roadworks until March 2016.

To me simply buses looks like the website has been made up to quickly etc..., the wordings on their site is wrong, someone took abit of time to phrase the words wrongly, no history on the person, got a link up for bus times etc... which would not of been on the site yet, the proposed bus services are duplicating Arriva services, don't believe it until I see it in newspapers etc..

(18 Jan 2015, 8:18 pm)cbma06 wrote To me simply buses looks like the website has been made up to quickly etc..., the wordings on their site is wrong, someone took abit of time to phrase the words wrongly, no history on the person, got a link up for bus times etc... which would not of been on the site yet, the proposed bus services are duplicating Arriva services, don't believe it until I see it in newspapers etc..

It is really happening. 
It has been setup by Gary Hunter.

I'm confused on what you're on about?

Simply Buses?

Questionable piggy backing on the simplygo branding imo

2 likes on the Facebook page and 2 on Twitter, it all looks a bit pie in the Sky. Not necessary rural need like Spirit but a case of 'Service Suggestions'

Has anyone heard anything more about this?

I agree mostly with what gtom has said. At a glance, it does look like a pie-in-the-sky service suggestion made to look more realistic through the creation of a website and questionnaire, however, I was quick to dismiss Spirit Buses as something similar.

Services 80/81 may attract ridership from people wishing to travel between various villages in the East Durham area. But I can't see the proposed X20 service doing any better than the established Durham to Metrocentre services at present. Granted, there may be some who'd like a direct service from Cockfield, Bishop Auckland or Spennymoor to the Metrocentre, but I see frequency as one of the main barriers to this particular service.

service 80/81 doesn't it look like half of route service 58 scarlet band ( isn't  route 58 secured by DCC) and then half of Arriva route 24 back to Durham. At least Spirit Buses was in the press and the person who owns it had background in the bus industry. No press for the so called Simply buses. At least spirit buses are providing a bus service where it has been cut off totally.

Haven't heard anything else, but willing to give the person/people (concious not to mention names, although it isn't difficult to find out) behind it a chance.

There has obviously been some sort of cost involved in the printing/distribution of leaflets and some planning carried out into routes, timings etc.

Maybe the person/people behind the project is looking to develop their own experiences and knowledge?

Whether anything comes of it, who knows.
Hopefully it does.

Simply Buses currently have questionnaires on the website for a couple of services that they might start. I'd like to wish the best of luck to them.

X20: Cockfield - Metrocentre
80/81: Durham - Kelloe

www.simplybuses.com

They are expecting to start services in late-2015.

Just having a bit of a think - whatever happened to simply buses - was there problems getting it started?

http://www.simplybuses.com/bustimes.html

(27 Dec 2015, 12:22 pm)citaro5284 wrote Just having a bit of a think - whatever happened to simply buses - was there problems getting it started?

http://www.simplybuses.com/bustimes.html

palatine3833 might be able to answer, I set up a thread about the company back in February iirc

(27 Dec 2015, 12:22 pm)citaro5284 wrote Just having a bit of a think - whatever happened to simply buses - was there problems getting it started?

http://www.simplybuses.com/bustimes.html

Watch this space...

(20 Jan 2015, 7:13 pm)gtom wrote Simply Buses?

Questionable piggy backing on the simplygo branding imo

2 likes on the Facebook page and 2 on Twitter, it all looks a bit pie in the Sky.  Not necessary rural need like Spirit but a case of 'Service Suggestions'

http://www.simplygo.com/conditions-of-carriage/
http://www.simplybuses.com/conditionsofcarriage.html

The content on these two web pages looks very similar.

(16 Feb 2015, 6:55 pm)GX03 SVC wrote They are expecting to start services in late-2015.

Looks like they missed the expected start date!

Wonder if it's possible that he could even bid for some of the tendered work in County Durham, especially as the suggestion for service 80 does sound broadly similar to the supported service 58 Durham - Hartlepool (Durham - Kelloe section of the route) which is currently run by Scarlet Band and the contract for this service should be up for renewal around June sort of time next year.

If they want to help people why don't they tender to operate the 58 on a Sunday.
If rumours are to be believed DCC will no longer be subsidising any bus services in County Durham.
Scarlet Band have hinted they may be able too run the 58 commercially day time only.

(13 Feb 2016, 11:18 pm)2bagstew wrote If they want to help people why don't they tender to operate the 58 on a Sunday.
If rumours are to be believed DCC will no longer be subsidising any bus services in County Durham.
Scarlet Band have hinted they may be able too run the 58 commercially day time only.

They'd have to cover it from bus pass reimbursement, then, because whenever I've caught it, we've been pretty much the only fare paying passengers.

Also what's left of the BSOG grant it used to make the different of a service making a profit from a loss.