(26 Feb 2023, 11:00 pm)busmanT wrote Do GCT now keep a small number of buses in the Durham area?
The 61/62, 204/A and one of the PR1 buses don't seem to track to/from Felling like the others do.

normally arriva buses don't track to/from the depot. i know arriva uses ticketer and i think gct do aswell. it might just be a case of the ticket machine not being turned on. i don't really know how this stuff works but thats my guess from what i already know.

(27 Feb 2023, 12:30 pm)NEbushopper wrote normally arriva buses don't track to/from the depot. i know arriva uses ticketer and i think gct do aswell. it might just be a case of the ticket machine not being turned on. i don't really know how this stuff works but thats my guess from what i already know.

Yeah correct, there is a light miles or dead miles button has to be registered when you sign on your machine or it doesn't acknowledge your light running from depot, some drivers just log straight onto there first trip which will not register until it starts from the first stop/terminus

(27 Feb 2023, 12:51 pm)Retro Nero wrote Yeah correct, there is a light miles or dead miles button has to be registered when you sign on your machine or it doesn't acknowledge your light running from depot, some drivers just log straight onto there first trip which will not register until it starts from the first stop/terminus

You'd think the operator would be keen to ensure those light miles are accurately recorded though, as I'd imagine they'd be key in working out costings for their bid when it comes around to the tender process again? 

All those Felling to Durham round trips will be adding up.

(27 Feb 2023, 1:56 pm)Adrian wrote You'd think the operator would be keen to ensure those light miles are accurately recorded though, as I'd imagine they'd be key in working out costings for their bid when it comes around to the tender process again? 

All those Felling to Durham round trips will be adding up.

Bold of you to assume GCT actually care. So long as they win the contract that's all that matters it seems.

You used to be able to see when GNE buses were running dead on a morning/evening. But that stopped after bustimes went down a while ago. Now you can only see it when the driver doesn't sign out of a trip

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Also how can GCT keep winning all of these contracts, surely they cannot be making money

(27 Feb 2023, 1:56 pm)Adrian wrote You'd think the operator would be keen to ensure those light miles are accurately recorded though, as I'd imagine they'd be key in working out costings for their bid when it comes around to the tender process again? 

All those Felling to Durham round trips will be adding up.

Internally they can still be tracked, it’s just on bustimes that they can’t.


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Looks like service 59 will be daily every 2 hours between Kelloe and Hartlepool with a 3 month emergency contract .

https://bustimes.org/services/59-hartlepool-kelloe


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(17 Mar 2023, 2:03 pm)cbma06 wrote Looks like service 59 will be daily every 2 hours between Kelloe and Hartlepool with a 3 month emergency contract .

https://bustimes.org/services/59-hartlepool-kelloe


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That will die a death, then. Better than every 100 minutes or whatever daft frequency some of the council funded services have been, though.

(17 Mar 2023, 2:03 pm)cbma06 wrote Looks like service 59 will be daily every 2 hours between Kelloe and Hartlepool with a 3 month emergency contract .

https://bustimes.org/services/59-hartlepool-kelloe


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Does this leave Quarrington Hill and Cassop without a bus service then? At present, they only have the 57/58.

(17 Mar 2023, 4:25 pm)Adrian wrote Does this leave Quarrington Hill and Cassop without a bus service then? At present, they only have the 57/58.

Arriva's 58 which will now run in the daytime covers Quarrington Hill & Cassop, however it looks as if Morley Crescent and Woodland Crescent in Kelloe plus the bit around Bowburn Hall will no longer have a service.

(17 Mar 2023, 5:41 pm)Jimmi wrote Arriva's 58 which will now run in the daytime covers Quarrington Hill & Cassop, however it looks as if Morley Crescent and Woodland Crescent in Kelloe plus the bit around Bowburn Hall will no longer have a service.

I'm surprised they couldn't fit Woodland in, but I understand it omitting Morley. Can be a nightmare for parked cars around there.

(17 Mar 2023, 5:46 pm)Adrian wrote I'm surprised they couldn't fit Woodland in, but I understand it omitting Morley. Can be a nightmare for parked cars around there.

Was a suggestion to send the 59 round these areas but was seemingly a non-starter, reason cited being unable to fit them into the schedule.

Just hope all the times are correct by the time the service starts as currently on BusTimes at least, the first weekday morning journey to Hartlepool seemingly has been given an extra 10 minutes between each timing point (as a result, the first trip from Trimdon Village is shown as taking 1 hour, 22 minutes to reach Hartlepool, Grand Hotel instead of 31 minutes!)

Gateshead Central Taxis seem to have another two Iveco buses

More Iveco at GCT

There was one whole board on the 84/84a circuit pattern that didn't run all day. So with a PVR of 2 that's every other bus!
No wonder these services have been declining for years even though they have multiple unique links (84a more so than 84). I tried helping another customer showing them bustimes.org and how they can track the bus (generally hit and miss with GCT). But I guess they don't need that anymore due to not having any other company than Stagecoach in West Newcastle (besides the hourly GNE).

(21 Mar 2023, 11:12 pm)logidoodah wrote There was one whole board on the 84/84a circuit pattern that didn't run all day. So with a PVR of 2 that's every other bus!
No wonder these services have been declining for years even though they have multiple unique links (84a more so than 84). I tried helping another customer showing them bustimes.org and how they can track the bus (generally hit and miss with GCT). But I guess they don't need that anymore due to not having any other company than Stagecoach in West Newcastle (besides the hourly GNE).

That's nothing. There's some routes that don't see a service at all for the whole day.
The R5 last week only ran on 3 of the 6 days it's meant to, and even then only on the Thursday did all journeys run...

(22 Mar 2023, 10:33 am)F114TML wrote That's nothing. There's some routes that don't see a service at all for the whole day.
The R5 last week only ran on 3 of the 6 days it's meant to, and even then only on the Thursday did all journeys run...

I'm pretty sure some bus operators have had their licenses revoked in the past for this reason...

(22 Mar 2023, 4:00 pm)wibblejunior wrote I'm pretty sure some bus operators have had their licenses revoked in the past for this reason...

Given how often this operator has apparent problems reported on this forum, I'm surprised nothing has happened against them, unless there's something else going on.

(23 Mar 2023, 9:27 am)Ianthegoon wrote Given how often this operator has apparent problems reported on this forum, I'm surprised nothing has happened against them, unless there's something else going on.

So if that example above of only running 3 out of 6 days is true, would that mean they would lose their contract? Never used them, but they do seem like they are running a terrible service from what I have seen on here.

(24 Mar 2023, 6:24 am)NEbushopper wrote So if that example above of only running 3 out of 6 days is true, would that mean they would lose their contract? Never used them, but they do seem like they are running a terrible service from what I have seen on here.

But maybe the councils like "cheap" sufficiently to be prepared to overlook the absence of an actual service?

Maybe there just aren't enough people using the services to notice that they're not running!

Are they not running to the eye, or are they not running according to bustimes?

(24 Mar 2023, 8:12 am)Ianthegoon wrote But maybe the councils like "cheap" sufficiently to be prepared to overlook the absence of an actual service?

It feels like some transport orgs have just given up and won't take action for repeated violations of contracts, I've heard a few accounts of complaints about services not running (or running late / other issues) and feels like nothing gets done, they often tell you to complain directly to the operators which some aren't likely to take seriously.

(24 Mar 2023, 12:06 pm)Adrian wrote Are they not running to the eye, or are they not running according to bustimes?

The latter is my guess, I know of many that constantly lurk on it to find stuff to complain about, if I were to believe everything on there, then Hodgsons Coaches would only be operating the 17 in Aycliffe for about 2 days a month and others not running some days, in that case, its been no ticket machine or some tracking issue.

Has to be an IRL experience for me to even think of complaining about as I can't say what's occurred for certain if I'm unable to witness it for myself.

(24 Mar 2023, 2:26 pm)Jimmi wrote It feels like some transport orgs have just given up and won't take action for repeated violations of contracts, I've heard a few accounts of complaints about services not running (or running late / other issues) and feels like nothing gets done, they often tell you to complain directly to the operators which some aren't likely to take seriously.


The latter is my guess, I know of many that constantly lurk on it to find stuff to complain about, if I were to believe everything on there, then Hodgsons Coaches would only be operating the 17 in Aycliffe for about 2 days a month and others not running some days, in that case, its been no ticket machine or some tracking issue.

Has to be an IRL experience for me to even think of complaining about as I can't say what's occurred for certain if I'm unable to witness it for myself.

Absolutely. Bustimes and open data in general is great for stuff tracking, but something not tracking shouldn't be taken as non-operation. My 2A yesterday morning wasn't tracking correctly, and even showing in the GNE app as not being tracked, but it still turned up on time.

Even operators with the most modern fleet in the North East are going to have technical issues from time to time.

Don't nexus contracts specify the bus has to track? So even if they did actually run but not track, they'd still be breaking the contract...

(24 Mar 2023, 3:09 pm)F114TML wrote Don't nexus contracts specify the bus has to track? So even if they did actually run but not track, they'd still be breaking the contract...

Yes, but then you have a scenario of whether you take the bus off the road to fix the reason why the ETM isn't tracking, or you run the bus without it tracking. The penalty for the former is likely to be greater than the latter.

(24 Mar 2023, 3:12 pm)Adrian wrote Yes, but then you have a scenario of whether you take the bus off the road to fix the reason why the ETM isn't tracking, or you run the bus without it tracking. The penalty for the former is likely to be greater than the latter.

You don't need to take the bus off, just replace the ETM. At least that's how we work, idk about Ticketer. On our buses it takes all of about 3 minutes.

(24 Mar 2023, 2:37 pm)Adrian wrote Absolutely. Bustimes and open data in general is great for stuff tracking, but something not tracking shouldn't be taken as non-operation. My 2A yesterday morning wasn't tracking correctly, and even showing in the GNE app as not being tracked, but it still turned up on time.

Even operators with the most modern fleet in the North East are going to have technical issues from time to time.

I know the 416/417/436 cycle of Morpeth services do not track on bustimes. Unure why, bus probally just dont have the tracking equipment.

(22 Mar 2023, 10:33 am)F114TML wrote That's nothing. There's some routes that don't see a service at all for the whole day.
The R5 last week only ran on 3 of the 6 days it's meant to, and even then only on the Thursday did all journeys run...

It doesn't matter how 'big or small' the impact on passengers are. It's still an impact, breach of contract and loss of trust in bus services overall. 

Just to be clear I was waiting for the bus and accepted Bustimes isnt 100% accurate most of the time and it never turned up. I spoke to someone else who gets this service (well I guess no more as the contract is cancelled as of an hour ago) and they said that they waited 20+ mins. I worked out this was the same board as me at the run of the day, I went for one of the first ones. Therefore worked out there was only one bus on a PVR of 2 do that day.

(24 Mar 2023, 3:42 pm)F114TML wrote You don't need to take the bus off, just replace the ETM. At least that's how we work, idk about Ticketer. On our buses it takes all of about 3 minutes.

Ticketer machines take about the same aswell.