(06 Apr 2015, 12:41 pm)northern156 wrote Just noticed this on the GNE facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/simplyGNE/posts/10155410441795710
Go North East
16 mins ·
We are experiencing severe delays across our network. We are currently working to resolve this to limit the inconvenience to you.
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Will this be to do with the extra traffic with it being Easter Monday? Or some other cause?

(06 Apr 2015, 12:50 pm)aureolin wrote Demand being a lot higher than the level of service offered?

(06 Apr 2015, 12:59 pm)aureolin wrote @StagecoachNE
SS Ops: Due to passenger demand and traffic issues in Seaburn most E svc are experiencing delays of up to 10 mins.
12:31pm · 6 Apr 2015 · Hootsuite


@StagecoachNE
Sun Ops: Slight delays on most services throughout the city due to passenger demand. Thank you for your patience.
12:23pm · 6 Apr 2015 · Hootsuite


More examples of the demand being greater than service offered? There's got to be a point where someone questions the forecasting...

(06 Apr 2015, 4:19 pm)roar wrote Trouble is the demand is unpredictable. If it had been raining today then you would have seen no problems. To be fair Seaburn is a bit of a nightmare with the current redevelopment that is going on, you cant get two vehicles passed each other at the Marriot Hotel and you need traffic to stop in both directions to turn out of Dyklands Road.

Stagecoach is providing 11 buses an hour between Sunderland and Seaburn with today's Sunday service.

E1 for example, just under 11 route miles and 42 minute trip time, standard scheduling at around 16mph and a driver has no chance of keeping to time. 

(06 Apr 2015, 1:21 pm)citaro5284 wrote Just gone through Whitley Bay and it is gridlocked with traffic...no wonder coastal services are operating late. 

(06 Apr 2015, 4:30 pm)aureolin wrote With exception of Xmas Day, New Years Day and Easter Sunday, I'd argue that the volumes wanting to travel on a bank holiday do not differ much from a Saturday. You might get a lot more wanting to travel to the coast on a nice day like today, but to be fair, you're going to get that on any other day too. Rain wouldn't have stopped people wanting to travel to city centres, to the Metrocentre, and anywhere else they can have a day out. 

The last few bank holidays that I've travelled out on have been chaos. Not for traffic levels and congestion, but simply for the amount of people wanting to travel on the same bus, because the frequency doesn't meet the demand. That's the same across Tyne and Wear. Not just one operator.

(06 Apr 2015, 1:21 pm)citaro5284 wrote Just gone through Whitley Bay and it is gridlocked with traffic...no wonder coastal services are operating late. 

(06 Apr 2015, 6:52 pm)leestransportphotos wrote The 82 is now beyond a joke! On 4 separate occasions today it has been over 15 mins late

(06 Apr 2015, 6:52 pm)leestransportphotos wrote The 82 is now beyond a joke! On 4 separate occasions today it has been over 15 mins late

(06 Apr 2015, 7:22 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote This is what it should be like for a BH service and here is some examples for the daytime for GNE:
- 309 every 20 minutes from Newcastle to Blyth.
- 310 every 20 minutes from Newcastle to N/Shields.
- 21 every 10 minutes to CLS continuing every 20 mins to Durham extending hourly to Bishop Auckland.
- 4 every 10 minutes to Fallowfield Way continuing every 20 mins to Houghton-Le-Spring.
- 56 every 15 minutes from Sunderland to Newcastle.
- TEN group of services operating normal Saturday timetable and routes.
- X1 every 15 minutes from Easington Lane to Newcastle.
- Red Kites and Diamonds operating Saturday timetable.
- 27 operating every 15 minutes between S/Shields and Newcastle.
- Coaster every 15 minutes from Whitley Bay to Gateshead and continuing hourly to Kibblesworth and hourly to Wrekenton.
- X66 operating to Saturday timetable.
- 58 operating to Saturday timetable.

Any more to think of?

(06 Apr 2015, 7:22 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote This is what it should be like for a BH service and here is some examples for the daytime for GNE:
- 309 every 20 minutes from Newcastle to Blyth.
- 310 every 20 minutes from Newcastle to N/Shields.
- 21 every 10 minutes to CLS continuing every 20 mins to Durham extending hourly to Bishop Auckland.
- 4 every 10 minutes to Fallowfield Way continuing every 20 mins to Houghton-Le-Spring.
- 56 every 15 minutes from Sunderland to Newcastle.
- TEN group of services operating normal Saturday timetable and routes.
- X1 every 15 minutes from Easington Lane to Newcastle.
- Red Kites and Diamonds operating Saturday timetable.
- 27 operating every 15 minutes between S/Shields and Newcastle.
- Coaster every 15 minutes from Whitley Bay to Gateshead and continuing hourly to Kibblesworth and hourly to Wrekenton.
- X66 operating to Saturday timetable.
- 58 operating to Saturday timetable.

Any more to think of?

(06 Apr 2015, 9:39 pm)mb134 wrote I wonder if the operators realise that, on days like these especially when it was warm, that they could have made a pile of cash by operating a Saturday timetable. The amount of posts I saw on Facebook complaining about the buses only running to a Sunday service was unreal.

The same applies to what we were talking about on Boxing Day, people don't stay at home that much anymore, as shops etc. are open, and people need to get to work...

(06 Apr 2015, 11:00 pm)roar wrote By operating a Saturday service would reduce the cash sum that was made today. Twice the expenditure dose not mean more profits.

(07 Apr 2015, 5:34 am)Andreos1 wrote Surely it is about planning and playing the long game though?

Invest in Bank Holiday services, run it well, promote it well and what may be quiet initially and not returning the levels seen on a normal working day, should see an increase into the future.
It is like when shops first opened on a Sunday. They were quiet initially, but gradually footfall increased and behaviours adapted.

People can only use what is offered and put in front of them.

It goes back to what you were saying about the industry lacking flair.

(07 Apr 2015, 8:32 am)roar wrote I can only agree with you, cant see it happening unless it's forced though. Now we have AVL and the authorities have access to the running data we might see some changes as the percentage of services running late will be known. 

We have seen a little innovation over the last few years with poorly timed services being re-timed, this has resulted in a higher frequency on some core routes on a Sunday service with extra layover time added to allow a return service to depart on time, now that could sound like i'm defending the industry there but I'm not. I honestly cant see the point of giving 10-15 minutes layover because you know a service is going to be late and needs that time so your return journey departs on time. That time would be better put into your schedule meaning less pressure on the driver, customers making connections, customers not wondering if or when the service is going to turn up.

With my years in this industry its very disheartening to see how things are going, trouble is with this lack of flair, motivation and dedication the true bus men are now thinking let them get on with it I'm out in x amount of years. I believe the railway industry is seeing this decline too.