(06 Aug 2020, 11:44 am)Andreos1 wrote Or (bearing in mind tyresmokes post below), it creates a perception that the day, week or month tickets are better value than they actually are? 

It still doesn't change the fact, that the market can't and will not grow, taking in to account those potential customers who can get to/from their destination quicker and cheaper using alternative means. 
There's a natural limit on any bus corridor by virtue of the number of people living in that area. 

You mention business management. Presumably you are aware of PESTEL/PESTLE and SWOT? Maybe it's worth you doing a pestle or basic swot analysis of the 20 route (including X20). Including fares, frequency, vehicle allocations and the times it starts to run off for the evening. 
I would be interested to see your findings. 


I've mentioned that several times. It seems to go straight over people's heads...

(06 Aug 2020, 12:47 pm)Rob44 wrote 320 for a under 6 mile journey to town is expensive in my view. if it was say £2 flat fare i for one would use it more. And ive said it before get me a bus pass that cost me £1 per day and i'll sell my car on autotrader and use the bus ( even though id have to get up earlier and get in later) to get to work. So if im up for that im sure other would be

(06 Aug 2020, 1:44 pm)Rob44 wrote I work 4 days out of five Monday to Friday and on the day off i doubt id have any reason to use the bus, so that would be around 3.16 per day. I work every Sunday but start at 730am when most GNE buses are tucket up in the garage so on that day i'd have to use the car.. I could use it when the football is back up and running but that I would need a network all zone pass which i believe is about £90 a month?

it might be to you but not to me or the many thousands of punters who've deserted the bus over the last several years.

(06 Aug 2020, 12:11 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Quite frankly, I'd rather not, but I can see the point you're trying to make, I just happen to disagree that reducing the pricing would make enough of a difference to get more passengers. Although I do wonder whether GNE removing the ability to check single/return prices from the website was a conscious decision rather than it just being down to them changing platform like they made it out to be...

I don't think they're keeping single prices high to make give the impression other tickets are better value, and I don't necessarily think single tickets are /that/ expensive. Sure, they're perhaps not the best value out there, but they're not outrageous. 

I personally think the main issue with the single ticket pricing is the fare stages. You can travel several miles and stay within a fare stage, and pay less than £2, or you can travel one stop, but pass over a 'border' and be charged double. I can't remember who it was, but I think travelling from Birtley to CLS was an issue for pricing?

(07 Aug 2020, 11:32 am)Storx wrote Seen a lot of discussion here about prices but why not do the best of the both worlds and have an off-peak / peak fares. Keep the current pricing say between 6am - 9am and 4pm and 6pm Mon - Fri then if you travel outside these times have some form of special ticket at £2 (or less) for any single with an off peak day ticket at £3.50 throughout the whole network.

It promotes people onto the buses when they're at their quietest when most people are likely to want the singles, going to the train station, going to the pub etc. It's the best of both worlds imo. Might promote a few people who otherwise wouldn't use the bus but most commuters will still be on their usual weekly / montly tickets since you can't use them at peak times.

It's pretty much how any other form of industry / travel works.

(07 Aug 2020, 11:32 am)Storx wrote Seen a lot of discussion here about prices but why not do the best of the both worlds and have an off-peak / peak fares. Keep the current pricing say between 6am - 9am and 4pm and 6pm Mon - Fri then if you travel outside these times have some form of special ticket at £2 (or less) for any single with an off peak day ticket at £3.50 throughout the whole network.

It promotes people onto the buses when they're at their quietest when most people are likely to want the singles, going to the train station, going to the pub etc. It's the best of both worlds imo. Might promote a few people who otherwise wouldn't use the bus but most commuters will still be on their usual weekly / montly tickets since you can't use them at peak times.

It's pretty much how any other form of industry / travel works.

(07 Aug 2020, 1:02 pm)Andreos1 wrote I think they tried that on the X23 when coaches were allocated. There were a couple of pricing tiers if I

(08 Aug 2020, 12:13 am)James101 wrote https://northeastbuses.co.uk/bygone/assets/GoNorthEast/X23BishopAucklandNewcastleFebruary2010.pdf

(14 Aug 2020, 1:32 pm)Rob44 wrote https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53761932

National express cutting fares using the bonus given to it by the government. Wonder if other companies will follow or just pass it on to shareholders here and abroad?

(28 Aug 2020, 10:00 am)citaro5284 wrote New, better than ever bus ticketing initiatives

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/new-better-ever-bus-ticketing-initiatives?fbclid=IwAR2tcVbkLq5ZgdawD8wNotzaKjsyTuVS2LqdpRbgJ3fUTasJdEzyF6R8wfM

(28 Aug 2020, 10:14 am)Andreos1 wrote A Houghton zone?! *falls to the ground in shock*
One of the few areas never to have one... 

Keen to know the actual zone boundaries. Not showing on the website yet.

(28 Aug 2020, 10:00 am)citaro5284 wrote New, better than ever bus ticketing initiatives

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/new-better-ever-bus-ticketing-initiatives?fbclid=IwAR2tcVbkLq5ZgdawD8wNotzaKjsyTuVS2LqdpRbgJ3fUTasJdEzyF6R8wfM

(30 Aug 2020, 5:03 pm)Michael wrote Does anyone know the boundaries of the new zone tickets?, no information on the site yet.

(30 Aug 2020, 5:28 pm)Adrian wrote The boundary points aren't available for any tickets afaik. I've asked for this before, but the response was that I should ask for specific services.

It would be really useful in terms of journey planning if the info was just available on the website. 

Looking at the Washington Saver zones for example, is the ticket valid to Usworth? Usworth is clearly part of Washington, yet the zone map would indicate it is not included in the Washington Saver ticket. Springwell village would be included in the saver zone based on the map outline, but there is no point to suggest that it might be. The final one would be Mount Pleasant, which is officially a Washington 'district', yet not indicating a boundary point towards that end of the map outline leaves it open to debate. ?‍

More positively, these maps are great: https://images-gonortheast.passenger-website.com/2020-08/little%20coaster%20network%20map%20A4%20web.pdf
Can we have more of them, preferably showing ticket boundaries too.

(09 Sep 2020, 1:10 am)6049 wrote Washington's boundaries are relatively well defined due to the services which operate through the boundaries however, I agree that that map doesn't illustrate it very well as it has been oversimplified. The A194 and A1 are the Northern and Western boundaries. Seven Houses/Waterview Park is the Eastern and the Southern is roughly a straight line between the roundabout at the bottom of Mount Pleasant across to the A1 at the County Durham/Tyne & Wear border. I have seen internal memos regarding the new zones, I assume that these will be released very shortly in a public friendly version (unless they have already and I've missed them).

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(09 Sep 2020, 7:48 am)Andreos1 wrote That Mount Pleasant boundary is an interesting one.
Prior to the boundary, there's two stops in Mount Pleasant northbound.
There's a southbound Mount Pleasant stop beyond the boundary too. 

Wouldnt it have made sense to have either had the boundary at Fatfield Bridge and exclude Mount Pleasant all together or at the very least, extend it to the bottom of Lambton Terrace to include the three other stops?

(09 Sep 2020, 9:31 am)6049 wrote There's two stops northbound, and two southbound. I wonder whether it may be something to do with the postcode. I don't know if I'm right but it may be that Mount Pleasant has a Washington postcode while Penshaw doesn't.

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(09 Sep 2020, 1:10 am)6049 wrote Washington's boundaries are relatively well defined due to the services which operate through the boundaries however, I agree that that map doesn't illustrate it very well as it has been oversimplified. The A194 and A1 are the Northern and Western boundaries. Seven Houses/Waterview Park is the Eastern and the Southern is roughly a straight line between the roundabout at the bottom of Mount Pleasant across to the A1 at the County Durham/Tyne & Wear border. I have seen internal memos regarding the new zones, I assume that these will be released very shortly in a public friendly version (unless they have already and I've missed them).

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(09 Sep 2020, 10:46 am)Adrian wrote It's interesting, because further to my original post, I noticed that the Go North East app has a different style map. This seems to show the boundary as Fatfield Bridge, which tbh I can see the logic in. I have just contacted GNE to ask the question though, and they've told me the boundary is Penshaw bank top - so I'm even more confused now 

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(25 Oct 2020, 12:22 pm)Andreos1 wrote I know it is very simplistic to say bus fares are expensive now and that they have risen well beyond the rate of inflation. Especially when you need to take in to account fuel costs, wage increases and other factors.

However, these two images really slam home how much fares have increased.



Anyone know how much the same journey costs on the 74 now?

(25 Oct 2020, 12:33 pm)Dan wrote Newcastle to Ponteland is £3.60 single on Go North East's 74 (day ticket £5.30), and £3.50 on Stagecoach's X78 (day ticket £4.70).

(25 Oct 2020, 12:33 pm)Dan wrote Newcastle to Ponteland is £3.60 single on Go North East's 74 (day ticket £5.30), and £3.50 on Stagecoach's X78 (day ticket £4.70).