Jim Scott interviewing folk in Stanley now

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1ez3w2959lo

(31 Jan 2025, 8:30 pm)garym67 wrote Enough now, how many times are you going to post this crap, surely you get the message by now no one agrees with you?

Believe me as someone who uses these services you hate so much I can tell you these buses are nowhere near the answer to your prayers.

Just as examples last week I was an an E400 on the X30 that was struggling so much I thought it was't going to get up Dunston bank, could have walked it quicker. The week before everytime the stop/start kicked in the bus gradually got less and less keen on restarting, to the point when it got to Sunniside we were on the verge of having to get off before the driver finally got it restarted. These are not isolated incidents, and the fact that a large number of services this week have be run by coast and county streetlites suggest a number of them have given up.

If they're going to change anything lets go back to X30 twice an hour and X31 twice an hour as before, personally I prefer it going via Whickham/Dunston as it gets into the right side of town, unlike the trip over the Tyne Bridge but if you give me the X30 back twice an hour you can do whatever you like with the X31/32.

I agree im very much sick of it now

(01 Feb 2025, 9:03 am)Unber43 wrote I agree im very much sick of it now

Don't worry. He will move onto the Coast road & how the B9TL Gemini should move or the 22 should go to Hadrian Park

(01 Feb 2025, 9:30 am)Aaron21 wrote Don't worry. He will move onto the Coast road & how the B9TL Gemini should move or the 22 should go to Hadrian Park

Ah yeah 6 weeks of that now.

I was just ignoring him hoping he would shut up, but i guess that wasn't going to be the case, and just to add the Angel 21 StreetDecks should go onto the 10/10A/10B or the 56. 

309/310 are easy work and will probably get electric buses eventually. But also GNE need to buy atleast 130 buses due to the aging fleet.

(01 Feb 2025, 9:30 am)Aaron21 wrote Don't worry. He will move onto the Coast road & how the B9TL Gemini should move or the 22 should go to Hadrian Park

Only reason I'm suggesting the Angel StreetDecks could end up on the Cobalts (and even the 56 to balance it out) is because of previous attempts back in 2014/15 to retrofit GKN flywheels on 6104 & 6085 as a trial in order to save fuel.

The 307 & 309 are not hard routes and the fuel savings over a fuel hungry B9TL would be quite decent, not forgetting commonality at Percy Main also having the NT Rockets & Coaster StreetLites.

The whole argument is that Arriva Northumbria have used the E400 Classic and E400MMC on arguably challenging work and bar 7501-06 which were ruined through poor maintenance (same issue which GNE are having), the rest have been fairly good.

From a maintenance and engineering perspective, surely it would make far more sense to only have 4x boards that need a low height decker as opposed to 12x and leaving engineering under pressure to send vehicles out that might be legal, but not 100% fit state! If 13x boards were able to be worked by a full height decker.....then it's a hell of a lot less stress and pressure on engineering as they can just allocate an ex GAG/London B9TL or E400 Classic instead of racing around trying to allocate whatever E400MMC is sitting around or having to pull one off the X45 or having to scramble for an E200MMC / StreetLite if the above fails!

Likewise, Riverside would have the choice of 15x deckers to use on the X10/X21 and could rotate them accordingly.

Bus 6217, operating on the 16 route, broke down at around 12 PM while heading away from Stanley, right at the junction where it meets South Moor. It came to a stop in lane 2, which is the straight-ahead lane. The bus was full of passengers at the time.

Drove past again at 3 PM, and it was still there.

40mph on a streetdeck on the A19 is not ideal, tbh its quite unsafe

(02 Feb 2025, 10:40 am)Unber43 wrote 40mph on a streetdeck on the A19 is not ideal, tbh its quite unsafe

Bar 6377, no other StreetDecks should be anywhere near the X10. Should be a native GNE B9TL if no Enviros or 6377 available!

GNE say the

12:20 from Newcastle to Gateshead will not operate due to a "breakdown"


Bustimes, says its a Citaro allocated between that time- which isn't euro 6 - so are GNE using a fake "breakdown" status to cover the fact they don't want to get fined for using a non euro 6 bus?

Yeah I am gonna report that

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anyone know where the link is, I did see in Gateshead but assumed it was on the 81

(02 Feb 2025, 12:34 pm)Michael wrote GNE say the

12:20 from Newcastle to Gateshead will not operate due to a "breakdown"


Bustimes, says its a Citaro allocated between that time- which isn't euro 6 - so are GNE using a fake "breakdown" status to cover the fact they don't want to get fined for using a non euro 6 bus?

It’s quite ridiculous that they wouldn’t just pay the £50 charge considering it’s per day rather than per journey. Especially when it’s on a service that’s operating once every hour.

(02 Feb 2025, 12:34 pm)Michael wrote GNE say the

12:20 from Newcastle to Gateshead will not operate due to a "breakdown"


Bustimes, says its a Citaro allocated between that time- which isn't euro 6 - so are GNE using a fake "breakdown" status to cover the fact they don't want to get fined for using a non euro 6 bus?

It's a load of rubbish. They need to be reported to the TC.

Whoever is instructing drives to do this needs to be ejected from the bus industry

AND ITS SUBSIDED ASWELL!!!

Must love it if youre a driver 30 min break

Must say it's pretty embarrassing that Washington doesn't have 4 E6 single deckers in their whole fleet currently when they've got 10+ of the things nor that they haven't bothered to send one from elsewhere to deal with it either.

Citaro on the 28/29 today

Running to Gateshead only

Asked the driver and he said he was told it was Tyne bridge congestion

(02 Feb 2025, 12:34 pm)Michael wrote GNE say the

12:20 from Newcastle to Gateshead will not operate due to a "breakdown"


Bustimes, says its a Citaro allocated between that time- which isn't euro 6 - so are GNE using a fake "breakdown" status to cover the fact they don't want to get fined for using a non euro 6 bus?

Not the first time there's been 'dubious' practice. Probably not the last. 

The increase in technology just makes it a little more obvious to identify.
It's not one persons word against another any more. 

Shocking regardless.

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(02 Feb 2025, 2:03 pm)Ambassador wrote Citaro on the 28/29 today

Running to Gateshead only

Asked the driver and he said he was told it was Tyne bridge congestion

Displaying Gateshead on the blind?
It will be interesting to see if any tickets were issued to 'Newcastle' on these boards, particularly when there's an apparent planned breakdown.

(02 Feb 2025, 2:02 pm)lewisparker1509 wrote I've got enough freetime to write a lengthy paragraph to the TC. If anyone can get me the contact address I'll report it. Already reporting it to Nexus but I'm not sure Nexus have any say over the 28s. Complaining to GNE will be like talking to a brick wall, or a football ref who is a die hard fan of one of the teams.

Happy to be corrected, but believe the 28/28B/29 are Durham County tendered services.

They've already predicted the next 28B to Newcastle will break down at Gateshead as they have an alert on the 15:10 to Kibblesworth starting at Gateshead.

(02 Feb 2025, 2:21 pm)DeltaMan wrote They've already predicted the next 28B to Newcastle will break down at Gateshead as they have an alert on the 15:10 to Kibblesworth starting at Gateshead.

If someone gives me a link I will report this too.

Everyone should.

(02 Feb 2025, 2:22 pm)lewisparker1509 wrote I know it's tendered, just not sure who with, which is why I said wasn't sure Nexus had any say. Even if it was, Nexus wouldn't do anything anyways. Amount of times I've got the "Service XYZ is not Nexus tendered" reply, even though it bloody well is.

Yeah no arguments, think you misread it. Was just trying to answer the bit about Nexus

Probably better to contact DCC but not sure what they're response is like. Mind Gateshead Central Taxis always seem to be well behaved on their routes down there in comparison to the T&W routes in the past.

(02 Feb 2025, 2:21 pm)DeltaMan wrote They've already predicted the next 28B to Newcastle will break down at Gateshead as they have an alert on the 15:10 to Kibblesworth starting at Gateshead.

It get's better

(02 Feb 2025, 2:25 pm)Unber43 wrote It get's better

Maybe they are concerned the air temperature is slightly colder North of the Tyne and that will knock the air pressure on a Citaro....but not a Versa or Streetlite

Its the second time in three days they've done this!!

https://bustimes.org/vehicles/gnel-5368?date=2025-01-31#

(02 Feb 2025, 2:02 pm)lewisparker1509 wrote I've got enough freetime to write a lengthy paragraph to the TC. If anyone can get me the contact address I'll report it. Already reporting it to Nexus but I'm not sure Nexus have any say over the 28s. Complaining to GNE will be like talking to a brick wall, or a football ref who is a die hard fan of one of the teams.

Traffic Commissioners won't take complaints directly, you need to contact the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency here - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-a-bus...turning-up

Enough reports may end up with the case being handed to the TC.

Hi, 
I am writing to you to complain about the state of Go North East (GNE) I will be using that abbreviation. GNE operates regular services into Newcastle which is a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and with that their buses have to meet the emissions standards or face a £50 PER DAY fine. However what GNE have been doing is advertising on their website (Screenshots wil be at the bottom) that the service 28/29/28B Chester-Le-Street - Newcastle operates Hourly Monday - Saturday,and SUnday.
So on Firday 31st January 2025 GNE operated a Mercedes Benz 63' Plate NON CAZ https://bustimes.org/vehicles/gnel-5368?date=2025-01-31 here is the link to be able to track the bus and it was that bus, as you can see every service which headed towards Newcastle terminated at Gateshead, GNE put it on its website that due to a breakdown the XX:XX 28/B/29 Service would not operate from Newcastle to Gateshead, and that was every time it was due to enter Newcastle which was at least 4 times. Surely its not a coincidence that the bus happens to break down at the same place, just as its scheduled to get there and is magically fixed on the return trip. 

They've also did this today Sunderland 2nd February 2025 https://bustimes.org/vehicles/gnel-5358?date=2025-02-02 , also please state photographic evidence of this bus Operating the service this was 5358 BX63BCK which is NOT CAZ. https://www.flickr.com/photos/blockybus/54302533334/ Again this bus magically knew it would break down at Gateshead for the 4 times it entered the city today, and would magically be fixed in time to run from Gateshead. This is nothing new from GNE deading services at Gateshead due to delays heading into Newcastle, causing not more then more of headache due to their incompetence in scheduling their services giving them enough run time and change over time. However this service is Subsided by either Nexus or Durham County Council, Wonder how they would feel that twice now a driver has sat for 30 mins so they didn't have to pay the £50 fine. 
Aswell what you might be interested in, is the current state of GNE Vehicles as noted in several articles recently https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz9eyzq925yo . An example of this is vehicle number 6214 LX59 CZC, on the 20/01/25 https://bustimes.org/vehicles/gnel-6214?date=2025-01-30# Not only as you can see Started at Eighton Banks 10 mins late, 35 mins late from where the 22 Chester-Le-Street to Newcastle is meant to run (used to be numbered 25) ti did get into Newcastle on time. Later it broke down at Low Fell towards Newcastle, causing it to miss the run into Newcastle, and then run dead to Barley Mow, losing pretty much two trips. 
I would argue with staff arrangement the GNE fleet is quite unsafe unreliable and just will break down whenever and all over to the point where there are no replacement vehicles, this shouldn't be how a bus company runs, only fixing the vehicles when maintenance MOT/TAX is due and just letting them work till they break down.
Hope you can look into this and deal a serious punishment for an operator which clearly has no care for their customers or staff.

Personally not sure messaging the DVSA over this is the right thing to do. I'd be pressuring the local MP / councillors and getting Kim McGuinness under pressure since she's living under her rock about the state of transport which she 'cares so much about'.

There's an election soon aswell so they'll want to be seen that they're doing something and this is the sort of thing that'll proove their worth, especially with the state of the 8 and 34 which are both in the same area with daily cancellations and inappropiate allocations (Solo's).

It's not really for me though as it's not my area so would be just a witch hunt tbh.

(02 Feb 2025, 8:28 pm)Storx wrote Personally not sure messaging the DVSA over this is the right thing to do. I'd be pressuring the local MP / councillors and getting Kim McGuinness under pressure since she's living under her rock about the state of transport which she 'cares so much about'.

Thankfully some of the councillors at the Southern end of the route aren't Labour and no doubt will want to kick up a fuss, especially with the state of the 8 and 34 which are both in the same area with daily cancellations and inappropiate allocations (Solo's).

It's not really for me though as it's not my area so would be just a witch hunt tbh.

So they can keep getting away from it, local MPs cannot do anything really, they cannot strip the contract as they didnt give it and i assume DCC cannot just strip companies off their contract atleast without a vote

(02 Feb 2025, 8:32 pm)Unber43 wrote So they can keep getting away from it, local MPs cannot do anything really, they cannot strip the contract as they didnt give it and i assume DCC cannot just strip companies off their contract atleast without a vote

It's not my area but if it was something around here, the local Facebook groups would be playing the local councillors against each other. There's nothing really happening transport related but I've known they've forced Arriva to do stuff in the past.

You just have to look at what happened with Arriva in NE Newcastle where stuff was forced through due to pressure (not my area) - see: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...s-25678887

Your autocarrot seems to have substituted Sunday for Sunderland.

This is becoming a drip feed from disgruntled staff. GNE clearly has a serious issue with staff relations that no amount of Haribo from a prize wheel will solve ...

BBC News - Bus company struggled to find engineers, say staff
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgy9x09zd5o