Services up for tender in May are

8/12/13/32/35/36/79/82/82A/168/520/594/935

May tenders as they are now *Standstill ends 10th April*

Stagecoach, 8,12,13,594
Gateshead Central Taxis, 168
Go North East 32,35,36,81,84,85,82,82A,935
Northstar, 79,520

GCT losing 520 & 82/82A & Northstar gain 520

All others stay the same

I'm assuming the 935 is the Sunderland service?

How is this still being funded/running? Passenger numbers were never great when the full 135/136 ran (evenings and Sundays).

What 12/32/36s are we on about?

(31 Mar 2026, 6:12 pm)Busesinnewcastle wrote What 12/32/36s are we on about?

Sunderland

(31 Mar 2026, 6:24 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote Sunderland

We don't have a 12 in Sunderland or is it a new service?

The 12/13 will be the South Shields one, the old 12 combined with the old 516.

(31 Mar 2026, 6:38 pm)deanmachine wrote The 12/13 will be the South Shields one, the old 12 combined with the old 516.

Ahh I was confused haha

(31 Mar 2026, 4:10 pm)Nerd4321 wrote May tenders as they are now *Standstill ends 10th April*

Stagecoach, 8,12,13,594
Gateshead Central Taxis, 168
Go North East 32,35,36, 81,84,85,82,82A ,935
Northstar, 79,520

GCT losing 520 & 82/82A & Northstar gain 520

All others stay the same

For a company who definitely can't make any money on these services, GNE sure love to win them on a tender!

(31 Mar 2026, 8:08 pm)Andreos1 wrote For a company who definitely can't make any money on these services, GNE sure love to win them on a tender!

Find it strange they bidded on the 82 again. A service they withdrawn a few years ago and won the bid back of Jh to lose it to GCT to now get it back again 

I find it funny as well after 9 months GCT finally got the service to track on bustimes

The history of the 82 is so unstable only because Nexus persist in feeling they have to do contracts for only 12months. Goodness knows why - other councils and PTEs with essentially the same background of year on year funding uncertainties manage to award multi-year bus service contracts (perhaps with break clauses that can be activated if funding becomes a crisis, or if requirements change by more than can be accommodated by variations in the contract?).

(31 Mar 2026, 9:27 pm)Busadvocate wrote The history of the 82 is so unstable only because Nexus persist in feeling they have to do contracts for only 12months. Goodness knows why - other councils and PTEs with essentially the same background of year on year funding uncertainties manage to award multi-year bus service contracts (perhaps with break clauses that can be activated if funding becomes a crisis, or if requirements change by more than can be accommodated by variations in the contract?).

I did email nexus about the 82 to complain about the fact it only being hourly meaning there is a 30 minute between 50's for Ayton residents. They obviously said it wasnt needed.

I think it would be better overall for the 82/82A to be Withdrawn altogether and have the 81 run Monday to Sunday extending beyond Gateshead into Newcastle.

It would mean that Harlow Green would have to be omitted though for it to work and potentially from the Q.E. have the 81 follow the 69 route onto Low Fell.

Keep it Hourly to begin with to test demand on the full route before increasing frequency, would also reinstate quite a few old links lost over the years.

(31 Mar 2026, 9:27 pm)Busadvocate wrote The history of the 82 is so unstable only because Nexus persist in feeling they have to do contracts for only 12months. Goodness knows why - other councils and PTEs with essentially the same background of year on year funding uncertainties manage to award multi-year bus service contracts (perhaps with break clauses that can be activated if funding becomes a crisis, or if requirements change by more than can be accommodated by variations in the contract?).

The senior management at Nexus don't take bus services seriously. Simple as that.

(31 Mar 2026, 9:27 pm)Busadvocate wrote The history of the 82 is so unstable only because Nexus persist in feeling they have to do contracts for only 12months. Goodness knows why - other councils and PTEs with essentially the same background of year on year funding uncertainties manage to award multi-year bus service contracts (perhaps with break clauses that can be activated if funding becomes a crisis, or if requirements change by more than can be accommodated by variations in the contract?).

Nothing to do with GNE deciding they're able to run it commercially. Then change their mind and win it back to tender. To then lose the tender, eventually winning it back (and repeat indefinitely).

I agree that services flipping from subsidised to commercial is an eyebrow raising thing, especially if they then flip back. (Though that might be explained by some major change in costs or passenger numbers - the bus world has been pretty difficult since 2020.)
But basically, that's the deregulated regime that we have had since 1986. The successive operator changes on 82 under annual contracts (JH, GCT, now GNE) seem to me an extra instability that arises only from the choice that Nexus makes to award only 12 month contracts.

(02 Apr 2026, 11:43 am)Busadvocate wrote I agree that services flipping from subsidised to commercial is an eyebrow raising thing, especially if they then flip back. (Though that might be explained by some major change in costs or passenger numbers - the bus world has been pretty difficult since 2020.)
But basically, that's the deregulated regime that we have had since 1986. The successive operator changes on 82 under annual contracts (JH, GCT, now GNE) seem to me an extra instability that arises only from the choice that Nexus makes to award only 12 month contracts.

Totally agree with this - every procurement undertaken costs time and money.  The supposed argument is to ensure value for money though I am not sure there is any compelling evidence retendering every year is cost efficient in any way for the taxpayer.  Let alone the instability it creates for the network, operators and passengers.

(02 Apr 2026, 11:43 am)Busadvocate wrote I agree that services flipping from subsidised to commercial is an eyebrow raising thing, especially if they then flip back. (Though that might be explained by some major change in costs or passenger numbers - the bus world has been pretty difficult since 2020.)
But basically, that's the deregulated regime that we have had since 1986. The successive operator changes on 82 under annual contracts (JH, GCT, now GNE) seem to me an extra instability that arises only from the choice that Nexus makes to award only 12 month contracts.

It happened well before 2020.
ANE had it on tender circa 2012.
GNE had it both before and after. 
Stanley may have even had it at one point. 
Veola did have some Nexus work in and around Washington in the mid-00's, but that may have been the services to/from Chester.

Any instability is down to the incumbent deciding whether they need to do their (well practiced) Oliver Twist impression.