(30 Jul 2014, 4:22 pm)aureolin wrote Current Nexus contract list (as of 27th July 2014) is attached to this post.

(30 Jul 2014, 6:00 pm)aureolin wrote Something I've spotted straight away. It would appear that the minimum spec for Compass Community Transport's 37 board is a Euro 5 vehicle with capacity of 16, yet the board Gateshead Central Taxis have won for the 37 and 73 requires 3x Euro 5 vehicles with a capacity of 49. Seems bizarre how one operator can be contracted for 16 and one for 49 - i.e. 3x the capacity!

7102    37,8X    Compass Community Tpt    1    L1605    29/05/2011    25/07/2015    Wholly secured
7614    37,73    Central Taxis Gateshead    3    L4905    27/07/2014    22/07/2017    Wholly secured

Also noted that the M2/M2A requires a Euro 4 vehicle for the Nexus funded runs. I'd assume these would be Sunday journeys, given that Arriva operate on an evening, with GNE running Concord-Heworth commecially. Both the MPDs and Cadets are Euro 3 vehicles, so I wonder if either a) GNE are just taking the hit here, or b) that information is wrong?

7598    M2,M2A    Go Northern    1    L2304    01/06/2014    30/05/2015    Partially secured

(30 Jul 2014, 6:06 pm)Dan wrote The contract for services 37/73 certainly originally stipulated the use of vehicles with a minimum capacity of 49, with Euro 4 vehicles, to my memory... Clearly Compass has submitted a non-conforming bid which has been accepted due to the lower cost for Nexus. I'd assume this is why the contract only lasts for one year with CCT, but three with GCT. Bizarre, nevertheless...

MPDs 603-606 and Cadets 8247/48, 8251-55 and 8260 are all Euro 4 vehicles. Although fitted with Euro 3 engines when new, they have had Eminox modifications to make them Euro 4. I have stated in the past that the overwhelming majority of Go North East's fleet is a minimum of Euro 4, thanks to Eminox modifications, with only a few vehicles being less than that, at Euro 2 or 3.

(30 Jul 2014, 6:11 pm)tyresmoke wrote Looks to me like the Compass contract is an existing one running from 2011 Dan... Not sure where they fit in to the schedule?

(30 Jul 2014, 6:13 pm)Dan wrote They're the peak time 'extras' that they operated previously too (which fits in with it being an already established contract) - GCT took over GNE's run on service 37. Now that it interworks with service 73, it requires 3 vehicles in total.

(30 Jul 2014, 6:13 pm)Dan wrote They're the peak time 'extras' that they operated previously too (which fits in with it being an already established contract) - GCT took over GNE's run on service 37. Now that it interworks with service 73, it requires 3 vehicles in total.

(30 Jul 2014, 11:17 pm)Drifter60 wrote How does nexus set the euro rating? Just odd how 135/136 is Euro 5, 29 is Euro 4 etc.

(08 Aug 2014, 2:25 pm)Tom wrote Have we heard anything about the NCC contracts yet?

(08 Aug 2014, 7:35 pm)aureolin wrote I've recently requested similar info from NCC (and other councils), as I've provided for Nexus. I'll hopefully have that in a few weeks time, which will let us look ahead at what's coming up.

(08 Aug 2014, 7:46 pm)Tom wrote They start 1st September if nothing has changed.

I'd like to see GNE take on the 880 - a new ticket similar to the AD122/X85 ticket could be introduced, for example X85 + 880 ticket £7.20 - Should also boost passenger numbers on the X85 too.

If I remember correctly, service 74 (Newcastle-Matfen-Hexham), 79 (Ponteland-Morpeth), 683 (Hexham-Newbrough), 688 (Hexham-Allendale), 689 (Hexham-Consett), 880 (Hexham-Bellingham-Kielder Castle), 882 (Colwell-Hexham) and other various stuff.

I'd like to see GNE retain the 688 and 689, and possibly the 74 as all seem to get decent passenger numbers at times (even the 689, yes!).

(14 Aug 2014, 12:23 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote http://m.sunderlandecho.com/news/business/major-overhaul-of-sunderland-and-washington-bus-routes-1-6782637

Not sure it is a major overhaul like...

(14 Aug 2014, 12:25 pm)Michael wrote Bit late,the changes were ages ago

(14 Aug 2014, 12:27 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote They were.
Presumably someone has been sitting on the press release and it hasn't been published.

Checked the date and it only appeared yesterday.

(30 Aug 2014, 9:07 pm)Tom wrote The Northumberland Contracts were due to start on 1st September, but nothing has been released about them?
Has it been extended once again?

(30 Aug 2014, 9:14 pm)aureolin wrote NCC list attached.

(30 Aug 2014, 9:17 pm)Tom wrote A lot of the Hexham contracts are due to end tomorrow!

(30 Aug 2014, 10:01 pm)tyresmoke wrote I would assume that they have been extended again...

(08 Nov 2014, 10:50 am)gtom wrote Gateshead Council's latest budget proposal plans for the withdrawal of funding to Quaylink from the next tender (though it would need to reach agreement with Newcastle over this)

It states Gateshead College is well served and services could be extended to the Baltic (I assume the 93/94)

The impact statement notes the main concern is late night provision to the Quayside and the effect on hotels and potential development

(08 Nov 2014, 3:28 pm)tyresmoke wrote Nexus have very recently put a tender out for the Quaylink service so this is an interesting development