Managing director of Go North East Kevin Carr, said the changes were introduced after a consultation with Nexus and customers.
He said many of the services now travelled closer to shops.
He said: “We are the number one bus operator in Sunderland and it’s really important that we adapt our services to meet customers’ needs.”
(30 Jan 2015, 6:10 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Come on then, lets see who bites.
Are GNE the number one bus operator in Sunderland like Kevin Carr claims?
Or would that be Stagecoach?
(30 Jan 2015, 6:12 pm)Dan wrote I think the real answer is: it depends.
My initial reaction to the statement was that I personally disagree, as I consider Stagecoach to be the principal bus operator in Sunderland. This is mainly due to the fact I live in Monkwearmouth and I am served by a large number of Stagecoach services.
(30 Jan 2015, 6:16 pm)citaro5284 wrote I think on buses based within Sunderland, GNE have more
(30 Jan 2015, 6:16 pm)citaro5284 wrote I think on buses based within Sunderland, GNE have more
(30 Jan 2015, 5:42 pm)tyresmoke wrote Something which we've had to deal with multiple times in Stockton over the last few months, upto 5 incidents at present!Couldn't agree more, however operators need to realise that cutting communities off, forcing them into changes to get to school, their GP or hospital - will result in the stories like this, where they will get stick and they will get flack.
People need to realise that streamlining of services is the way forward - 4 hourly variations are harder to market & understand than a 15 min frequency on a single route, and people find them easier to use. Unfortunately what they don't realise is that this means communities effectively get cut off.
(30 Jan 2015, 6:14 pm)MurdnunoC wrote I suppose it would depend on how 'Sunderland' is defined for one - is it the city or the wider area - but, arguably, it seems that Mr Carr enjoys hyperbole just as much as The Chronicle does.Got to take the rough with the smooth.
(30 Jan 2015, 6:33 pm)Robert wrote I don't think anybody has a right to complain about the recent service changes. Go North East held that consultation in Park Lane long before the changes were made and if they couldn't make it, they could have used their brains and contacted them in a different way such as through email or phone. The public were given plenty of opportunity to give their opinions and plenty of notice of the changes so i don't think it should be taken as a surprise by anybody.
(30 Jan 2015, 6:42 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote There's been 7 versions of the 35 series timetable since 2011 - so presumably the routes have changed up to 7 times since 2011 - which is still bonkers.
(30 Jan 2015, 6:42 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote There's been 7 versions of the 35 series timetable since 2011 - so presumably the routes have changed up to 7 times since 2011 - which is still bonkers.
(30 Jan 2015, 8:27 pm)Andreos1 wrote Without checking, there have been the variations around Eppleton (before and after the X36/37), the re-routing of the 35A to Rainton Bridge and last year, the re-routing of the trip from Rainton via the A690.
There have been a few cancellations/amendments to the timetables too.
At least 4, just off the top of my head.
(31 Jan 2015, 12:33 am)aureolin wrote Few points...
Some of the comments about Bridget are a bit unfair. We shouldn't forget that she's went well against party line in pushing this one, and only in the last year, have others started jumping on the bandwagon. She may not use buses (I really have no idea whether she does or not), but I do know that she spends a lot of time and makes a lot of effort to speak face to face with her constituents. She is having issues like this raised with her on a regular basis, hence her pushing the issue in the first place. People love to be listened to, and operators really have failed here.
Can Stagecoach really number one in Sunderland, when they don't serve a large proportion of it? Can't remember when I last seen a Stagecoach bus in Washington?
With the Chronicle. I think they're always going to print sensationalist rubbish, but that can be a huge benefit too. If GNE had a proper spin doctor to handle the media, then they'd have a very powerful weapon with the local media.
As it stands, the public see buses as a public service, and therefore expect them to meet the demands of the public. Unfortunately for them, the bus industry was privatised, and their local services are now ran for profit. No profit = no service, and people quite rightly don't understand that. It's not so much a failing on the operators, but more a failing on the establishment for allowing it to happen.
(31 Jan 2015, 2:09 pm)Crusader wrote I think aureolin makes a good point there which is often missed in the QC debate - bus companies aren't doing anything wrong if they withdraw services which aren't profitable. If people want the public sector to be back in charge then they can be, but bus companies can't be blamed for making a profit when that is what the law permits them to do
As for Bridget - she is only interested in her own political career. She couldn't care less where the 35 or any other bus service actually goes
We continue to make good progress in our bus division and are on course to achieve our operating profit target of £100m by 2015/16. Our focus remains on achieving cost efficiencies in all areas of the business and driving revenue growth through our high quality operations.
(31 Jan 2015, 2:34 pm)Andreos1 wrote It has been touched on in QCS quite a bit.
I remember one quote from David Brown, in May 2014 - discussing how that profit would be made.
We all know what cost efficiencies' are...
(31 Jan 2015, 2:39 pm)citaro5284 wrote Aye....people been made redudant mainly due to new technology been brought in at back office. It is not all about service cuts.Exactly. Unfortunately, staff do go as well. Passengers and staff - all affected by streamlining or cost saving efficiencies.
An example is that the wages for every bus driver in Go Ahead is processed at Bensham. Think years gone by, how many clerks would have been needed at each Operating Company.
In terms of GNE, we have 2 full time and 1 part time clerks to check the payroll for each driver based at a couple of locations before it gets sent to Bensham, and we have around 1500 drivers.
(31 Jan 2015, 2:39 pm)citaro5284 wrote Aye....people been made redudant mainly due to new technology been brought in at back office. It is not all about service cuts.
An example is that the wages for every bus driver in Go Ahead is processed at Bensham. Think years gone by, how many clerks would have been needed at each Operating Company.
In terms of GNE, we have 2 full time and 1 part time clerks to check the payroll for each driver based at a couple of locations before it gets sent to Bensham, and we have around 1500 drivers.
(01 Feb 2015, 2:20 pm)gtom wrote It doesn't help when GNE's Facebook page ignores the Nexus funded Arriva operated late route when people ask for advice mind!
