(10 Jul 2024, 8:18 pm)Adrian wrote It feels like I don't use buses an awful lot nowadays, but I'm staggered at the state of the GNE fleet every time I do.

• Buses looking filthy inside and out.
  
• Bits of branding missing for months and months on end. 
  
• Buses appearing to be randomly allocated to services.
  

I'd be embarrassed expecting my customers to sit in a pigsty, or have a bus turn up that looks like it's been in a fight. I get that there's an importance to get buses back out on the road, but when you start corner cutting at one point, where do you stop.

The allocations are a mess. It's bloody confusing to customers, when you're training them to look out for a brand and not a service number. Looking right now for example, you've got a Tyne Valley 10 and a X45/X46 Red Kite on the X21, an Gateshead Rider on the 21, a Country Ranger on the 4, and a connections4 on the 8. 

I get that there'll be times it's unavoidable, but this is every day and seemingly at random. Does the depot allocate buses with a bingo caller or something? 

Is anybody actually running this business nowadays, or have they given up? There's no pride whatsoever in the fleet anymore.

(10 Jul 2024, 9:15 pm)omnicity4659 wrote A project has begun regarding presentation of the fleet, with someone being employed to audit and rectify branding defects and bruised vehicles.

The issues shouldn't have happened in the first place, but they're being sorted.

(10 Jul 2024, 9:57 pm)PH - BQA wrote Someone has been employed to check that stickers are applied? That seems like a colossal waste of money, but given the state of the company at the moment that isn't really a surprise. 

It would be far more efficient to have a current employee simply check each bus over a set period (say a week), and make a list of which vehicles need attention.

(10 Jul 2024, 9:15 pm)omnicity4659 wrote A project has begun regarding presentation of the fleet, with someone being employed to audit and rectify branding defects and bruised vehicles.

The issues shouldn't have happened in the first place, but they're being sorted.

(11 Jul 2024, 5:15 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Does it matter whether the branding is complete or not when branded vehicles are now routinely used on a seemingly random allocation basis?  It might look nicer but still not much use if your Country Ranger takes you to Heworth or you end up in Bishop on a Tyne Valley Ten.  GNE have shown repeatedly that they are too incompetent to make branding work, regardless the arguments whether it can actually work.  It's just good money after bad now.

(11 Jul 2024, 5:58 pm)busmanT wrote That’s presumably why GNE have, since MG left, been reducing the number of brands with quite a few more due to go I understand.

(11 Jul 2024, 6:29 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Which might make absolute sense if they weren't currently repainting midlife Streetlites into yet another variation of Prince Bishops branding.  Seems there's not a clear strategy towards or away from branding (admittedly the current purple Streetlites are a disgrace but you'd think if branding was indeed recognised to be the monumental waste of money that it is, they would be going corporate).

(12 Jul 2024, 11:08 am)V514DFT wrote I swear blind there was a Coaster out yesterday, and it had what looked like Duct Tape on it, no idea if it was holding the window in place or if it was another issue or both

(11 Jul 2024, 6:29 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Which might make absolute sense if they weren't currently repainting midlife Streetlites into yet another variation of Prince Bishops branding.  Seems there's not a clear strategy towards or away from branding (admittedly the current purple Streetlites are a disgrace but you'd think if branding was indeed recognised to be the monumental waste of money that it is, they would be going corporate).

(13 Jul 2024, 5:24 pm)busmanT wrote Branding is being reduced, not eliminated, as I understand the GNE strategy - Prince Bishops is obviously seen as one of the reduced number of brands to remain. 
I can see East Durham Explorer, Little Pinks, Peterlee Purples, Rockets, SunderlandDistrict all disappearing as the buses become due for repaint.

(10 Jul 2024, 9:57 pm)PH - BQA wrote Someone has been employed to check that stickers are applied? That seems like a colossal waste of money, but given the state of the company at the moment that isn't really a surprise. 

It would be far more efficient to have a current employee simply check each bus over a set period (say a week), and make a list of which vehicles need attention.

(11 Jul 2024, 11:57 am)morritt89 wrote Missing branding/old damage is recorded on a first use check card (at least it used to be). Surely this information is readily available in that case?

I did hear that one off damaged panels didn't used to be replaced until several needed to be done (more cost effective).

There seems to be alot of stick on Facebook for what drivers wear (shorts, polo shirts etc) but you can have the smartest dressed driver driving a bus that looks like its been in a destruction derby and that's before you get to the interiors.

(14 Jul 2024, 3:12 pm)Washingtonian wrote I think the only services that should remain branded are the express services and the ones with a 15 minute frequency or higher. The rest of the branding should be binned completely and the remaining fleet should be repainted into the corporate livery.

I might be tempted to have a slight variation of the current corporate livery for the minibus services and brand them all "Little Links" or something instead of painting them all different colours and having different names. I liked how they done something similar in the Go-Ahead Northern red and white era with the "Minilink" brand. They were more or less in the same corporate livery but with a slight variation. Also I've kept saying this for a while now but I think GNE should invest in the smaller minibuses/breadvans such as these: - https://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/road-test-from-trot-to-sprint/ Surely this size of vehicle will be much better to use on an evening and for the areas where the roads are narrow and tight. I've been watching the night time loadings on the Little Pinks etc and there are times that the loadings do not even justify the use of a solo, however these bus services are still vital to some. Instead of cutting more services in the future they should buy some breadvans such as the Mercedes Sprinter that is much smaller and narrower and will ultimately use less fuel. Also it might enable the company to use less vehicles and drivers and save them money without dropping the standards and level of service.

(14 Jul 2024, 4:47 pm)omnicity4659 wrote Ideally the driver should be reporting these issues, however its understandable for them to only do the legally required aspect of the first use check. The audits do pick up on smaller details which drivers shouldn't be expected to pick up.

(15 Jul 2024, 10:11 pm)MCN881L wrote 8332 is in the scrap corner at Deptford, looks pretty well cannibalised ,along with 8336,looks complete still

(15 Jul 2024, 10:41 pm)Michael wrote Cheers for the information.

Wonder if some of the better ones will be sold?

Deptford will be Versa free soon.

(16 Jul 2024, 3:14 pm)deanmachine wrote There's only been 1 Berry parked on track 11 this week, I'm not sure if any of the others are in service elsewhere in the yard.

(18 Jul 2024, 11:27 am)Andreos1 wrote I've not seen any fleet numbers or checked to see if it is the same vehicle, but it seems at least one 21 branded decker is getting the chance to stretch it's legs on the A19.

I've seen one on the X10 on two different days this week.

(14 Jul 2024, 8:09 pm)Storx wrote Get your sentiments but I have to politely disagree. Breadvans are horrid vehicles from a passenger point of view and you really need to have some form of standard. 

Personally I'd rather see these minibus routes extended beyond Washington. People can say the hub and spoke model works, but it doesn't really. People will not change at Washington from one bus to another bus when there's no guaranteed connections. Trains and Metros they will because of the speed benefit though. 

I'm not aware of any other country which does conventional bus to bus integration like Washington does but then again Washington would have a rail link if this was Europe. 

Oh and there's capacity requirements for subsidised routes which the bread vans won't meet, regardless.

Edit just had a look at these timetables since the England match is boring. 

X1 Arrives Washington Galleries 23.40
85 Leaves Washington Galleries 23.36

Absolutely fantastic timetabling that mind.