(11 Dec 2021, 9:31 am)ifm001 wrote Considering Nexus are always reporting about how loss making services are and the need to make cuts where necessary, how many scholars services are duplicated that you know of and are really necessary and worth the cost 

I was driving through West to East Boldon yesterday and an unknown Stagecoach Scholars service went past first, followed by a JH Coaches 803, a minute or so later Stagecoach 803 came past literally empty.  Quickly followed by Stagecoach 558 to Boldon Asda and Fellgate and again followed by Stagecoach 801 to Boldon Asda

The 803 is a definite duplicate timed at 3 mins apart, however, I believe the 558 was a very similar route and the 801 similar again 

Is there cost savings here, definatley with the 803, but how many more Scholars  services are duplicates that are Nexus Tenders?

(11 Dec 2021, 10:31 am)Rob44 wrote going back to my school days ( along time ago) we were told by our school to use the scholars bus as northumbria had received complaints from passengers about overcrowding on there regular bus due to kids using it. Did help that most of the time from what I can recall it was a single decker. Cant remember who ran the scholars service as i just continued to use the regular service.

Now i'm older i mad the mistake of getting the 315pm bus to where i used to live and the kids all piled on a regent centre. no scholars bus in site. Standing room only. Good job it was a decker.

(11 Dec 2021, 10:50 am)ifm001 wrote Therefore a Nexus funded duplicate of the commercial services to operate for Scholars only is a good idea   but why duplicate Scholars services when fhey are both decker operated and one is running empty. The funds on the duplicate would be more suitable in this instance to assist your area with Scholars using the commercial service.

(11 Dec 2021, 9:31 am)ifm001 wrote Considering Nexus are always reporting about how loss making services are and the need to make cuts where necessary, how many scholars services are duplicated that you know of and are really necessary and worth the cost 

I was driving through West to East Boldon yesterday and an unknown Stagecoach Scholars service went past first, followed by a JH Coaches 803, a minute or so later Stagecoach 803 came past literally empty.  Quickly followed by Stagecoach 558 to Boldon Asda and Fellgate and again followed by Stagecoach 801 to Boldon Asda

The 803 is a definite duplicate timed at 3 mins apart, however, I believe the 558 was a very similar route and the 801 similar again 

Is there cost savings here, definatley with the 803, but how many more Scholars  services are duplicates that are Nexus Tenders?

(11 Dec 2021, 11:02 am)Rob44 wrote the scholars service the served my school back in the day didn't really follow a commercial route at the time. it was actually an amalgamation of 2 services ran by northumbria at the time. I do agree that a bus running empty costing £300 per day certainly inst a good way to spend money when other things at being cut

(12 Dec 2021, 11:00 am)morritt89 wrote Some scholars services are very well used and provide links which otherwise wouldn't exist or would require a change of bus.

When I first started on the school runs, the 454 was my regular run (Easington Lane - St Roberts). I took in excess of £90 per day just  on the school run but that was a full bus (90 kids).

St Roberts have the 458 which is (or at least was) tripled. 2 deckers used to leave with all the buses at school kicking out time then a 3rd bus (usually single deck) leaves shortly after. Again, thus journey wouldn't be available on a service bus (without changes) and also you wouldn't really want all those kids on a service bus. 

Kids regularly vandalised the vehicles and acted in an antisocial manner - again what impression would a passenger on a service bus make of this?

Now I driver the 4274 Coxhoe to Belmont. There are no tickets on here and its a closed door service in the sense that it's only open to kids from the school with the appropriate pass (either bus A or B). This differs from the Nexus runs which were (may have changed due to Covid) open to the public and adult fares were available. Kids on the Belmont run are better behaved than St Roberts but 7157 has been internally vandalised so again would pitting these kids on a service bus leave a good impression on other passengers?

I think school buses have there place and most are quite well used (more than some works services I've driven - 968 springs to mind). When I went to school there was a school bus (didn't go where I lived) but it was taken off due to vandalism (running theme here) and we used service buses. Buses were packed and drove past other waiting passengers further along the route.