(09 Aug 2023, 1:49 pm)Rob44 wrote is that why loads of customers just show there phone with the QR code viable to SCNE drivers?

(09 Aug 2023, 7:40 pm)F114TML wrote Yes, and it's strangely amusing watching the ones that don't realise we don't have scanners.

I once had someone try to ram their phone in the bit the ticket comes out of. Someone else gave the machine a full on massage with a Stagecoach Dayrider as well, which, I'll be honest, was slightly terrifying.

(09 Aug 2023, 6:53 pm)Adrian wrote Yes. No facility to scan on the Vix ETMs that Stagecoach use.

Although GNE and Arriva both use Ticketer with the QR code scanning, but they don't share the hashes with each other, even for Network One. So something that should be simple, you still have to rely on manual checking of the ticket.

(10 Aug 2023, 9:50 am)busmanT wrote And for the new BSIP multi modal tickets there is the problem of tickets issued from Metro machines not have QR codes and barriers not accepting QR code bus tickets.

On the Coast Road Arriva QR codes certainly scan of GNE buses.

(10 Aug 2023, 10:27 am)Adrian wrote This is what happens when everybody does their own thing, rather than having any level of joined up thinking. 

There should be nothing stopping the BSIP multi-modal tickets being issued via the POP Pay As You Go scheme, developed under NESTi? According to the press release years ago now, this is exactly what it is supposed to do: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/smart-ticketing-rollout-brings-better-journeys-to-north-east

Having the BSIP tickets setup as a day cap for the value of each ticket and zone, and if anything, it'd be a lot more flexible to those using them. As we've seen with the Metro, the card can either be physical or virtual.

The Coast Road QR scanning is relatively new, but as I commented in that thread, it should act as a proof of concept of a wider scheme being delivered. Network One tickets, incl. Day Rovers and Explorers don't scan on other operators services throughout the region, and as you point out, there's no facility to scan them on the Metro.

(09 Aug 2023, 7:40 pm)F114TML wrote Yes, and it's strangely amusing watching the ones that don't realise we don't have scanners.

I once had someone try to ram their phone in the bit the ticket comes out of. Someone else gave the machine a full on massage with a Stagecoach Dayrider as well, which, I'll be honest, was slightly terrifying.

(10 Aug 2023, 10:27 am)Adrian wrote The Coast Road QR scanning is relatively new, but as I commented in that thread, it should act as a proof of concept of a wider scheme being delivered. Network One tickets, incl. Day Rovers and Explorers don't scan on other operators services throughout the region, and as you point out, there's no facility to scan them on the Metro.

(10 Aug 2023, 10:33 am)streetdeckfan wrote It seems like they developed POP and then abandoned it completely.

GNE should have abandoned the Key and moved the tickets over to using the POP cards, same with Arriva (and potentially Stagecoach, do they use a smart card?)

Now that I've got used to using Tap on Tap off on Arriva, I just can't stand using either the GNE app to buy a ticket, or buying a day ticket on the bus (it inevitably gets ruined before the end of the day).


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(10 Aug 2023, 4:19 pm)Rob44 wrote did you every get you claims sorted??

(10 Aug 2023, 6:29 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I didn't, and tbh I forgot to complain again!

(10 Aug 2023, 10:31 pm)mb134 wrote Has it happened at all since you'd mentioned it on here? 

I've noticed the GPS on certain vehicles/Ticketer machines seem to be slightly different. On the way home my bus generally stops at a traffic lighted junction just before my stop, and occasionally the reader activates there which allows me to tap off while the bus is stopped there and just walk off the bus once it pulls up to the stop, however most readers don't activate until the bus is pulling up to/at the stop. I'm assuming this is a difference between different ticket machines, but I've not been bothered enough to remember if it's always the same vehicle(s) to confirm it.

(04 Oct 2023, 8:22 pm)Unber43 wrote £2 fare has been extended till December 2024..I think, so what about the £1/day tickets

(04 Oct 2023, 9:41 pm)Adrian wrote And the TNE 19 and under day ticket is the £3 ticket.

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(24 Feb 2024, 10:17 am)Storx wrote https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/coast-road-bus-lane-plan-28692629

Good to see more good use of this money by upgrading traffic lights along Barrack Road and Scotswood Road where there's massive delays to buses every day, hang on... It's very strange that the traffic lights along both these roads are conveniently old though...

Utter joke. Another £6.5m spent on everything but buses. I'm still waiting for one bus infrastructure upgrade, literally anywhere, which isn't a pointless bus station.

(24 Feb 2024, 10:17 am)Storx wrote https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/coast-road-bus-lane-plan-28692629

Good to see more good use of this money by upgrading traffic lights along Barrack Road and Scotswood Road where there's massive delays to buses every day, hang on... It's very strange that the traffic lights along both these roads are conveniently old though...

Utter joke. Another £6.5m spent on everything but buses. I'm still waiting for one bus infrastructure upgrade, literally anywhere, which isn't a pointless bus station.

(24 Feb 2024, 5:24 pm)V514DFT wrote And they'll take ages to "upgrade" them, then run out of money half way through i bet ya

(24 Feb 2024, 5:28 pm)deanmachine wrote There's not much point, because when they build bus infrastructure they never give buses any more priority. Gateshead High Street, a new trafflic light for me to wait at, Gateshead Askew Road, another traffic light for me to wait at, Sunderland Southwick Road, a traffic light for me to wait at that doesn't even change after 8pm, Sunderland Bedford Street/John Street, a bunch of traffic lights just slowing buses down with no priority for them. 

I could probably go on, but the planners have seemingly no idea where the problems are, and us bus drivers have never been asked where we think the bottlenecks are.

(13 Mar 2024, 1:27 pm)Andreos1 wrote https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68543962

Interesting reading.

(13 Mar 2024, 1:27 pm)Andreos1 wrote https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68543962

Interesting reading.

(15 Mar 2024, 10:38 am)DeltaMan wrote “Passengers who sat next to someone they didn’t know are significantly less satisfied than those who didn’t.”

Yeah, the industry is never going to keep new customers if that is what it's own customers think. There is no avoiding that one. It's the ultimate reason why a meaningful shift to public transport will simply not happen.

(15 Mar 2024, 11:52 am)Adrian wrote I think that one has to be taken in context though. This tends to only ever happen on really busy to crowded buses, and I'd say most of us are naturally more dissatisfied when on one of them. You add to this that when buses are that busy, and aren't express services, they tend to run late as it takes longer for people to board and alight.

I'm not suggesting everyone needs their own private bus or anything like that, but buses aren't the most comfortable mode of transport when busy, especially versus say a train or plane. It's even worst still when you end up with people standing over you. 

In my opinion, there's some practical and proactive steps that operators do to try and combat some of this. For a start, better regulation of late running services is key. To give an example, only last week I was in Newcastle, and there was a queue right back through the bus station for the X1. Half an hour's worth of passengers, as both the 18.11 and 18.26 were arriving at the same time. Instead of the late bus taking passengers for Washington only (for example) directly to Washington NIS, then starting back on time from there, we ended up with one bus packed, another with barely any on, bunny hopping each other all the way to the Galleries. The result? Two buses running late, instead of potentially having both running on time.