(17 Feb 2026, 10:17 am)F114TML wrote Yeah so when you buy a bus off Stagecoach they explitly tell you it "must not be operated in Stagecoach livery", and that this condition is passed on to any future purchasors.

Oh right I didn’t know that. Makes sense though. God forbid if stagecoach clapped eyes on it hehe. Thanks for the info

Sounds like City have been a bit too busy doing MAN, shields ferry and the connect services.

What do people think of their operation for the 700/701? I think the route livery is poor compared to what GNE had, although as a livery itself I do really like it. But obviously a livery doesn’t create a good service. I think overall I’m asking do people think they’ll win another tender come September?

(17 Feb 2026, 10:39 pm)MinorBusMan wrote Oh right I didn’t know that. Makes sense though. God forbid if stagecoach clapped eyes on it hehe. Thanks for the info

Sounds like City have been a bit too busy doing MAN, shields ferry and the connect services.

What do people think of their operation for the 700/701? I think the route livery is poor compared to what GNE had, although as a livery itself I do really like it. But obviously a livery doesn’t create a good service. I think overall I’m asking do people think they’ll win another tender come September?

Not their fault but the 700s current frequency of 45 minutes is really odd but the service was nice I only used it one but if they keeping the bendy buses might need to move stands because they can block other buses getting into Park Lane

(17 Feb 2026, 2:00 pm)Northern Spirit wrote The DB300 is on loan from DM Motor Services, Tockwith.

I went over Sunderland for it this afternoon and seemed like it wouldn't go over 20mph, it missed a run of the 701 this afternoon due to being 25 minutes late and waited time at St.Peters.

(03 Mar 2026, 5:11 pm)Malarkey wrote I went over Sunderland for it this afternoon and seemed like it wouldn't go over 20mph, it missed a run of the 701 this afternoon due to being 25 minutes late and waited time at St.Peters.

Yeah I passed it the other day it did NOT sound healthy.

And I thought Gateshead Central were bad !!! 

Of all the bad practice or illegal stuff I've seen them do City Transport really take the biscuit. 

So I've just gotten off of the 701 (disclaimer I was sitting upstairs at the front) when I got on I saw someone sitting in the luggage bay and another one standing talking to the driver at the front talking to him and blocking the way/ being very ignorant when people were getting on. Throughout this journey there was a lot of beeping involved from other cars and our bus. However, I thought it was just rush hour around the vile hospital which is usually a nightmare anyways. Although I started to notice a pattern (from reflections) by our driver seemed allergic to the indicator. When I got off the bus said person in the luggage bay was now sitting on the part of the bus at the very front basically on the bit plastic in front of the windscreen. This also was when the bus is in motion and was definitely an obstruction to the drivers view!

Other things I've seen previously are ignoring red lights and crossings, driver shouting at me and someone else telling me I had to get off the middle doors only when 99% of buses don't have middle doors so how were we supposed to know. Then the next time the same driver shouting at someone at why they tried to exit the back doors (just waiting for them to open) when he hadn't opened them. 

And honestly been so many things.

Has anyone else seen anything negative with City Transport or is it just me?

(Yesterday, 6:22 pm)logidoodah wrote And I thought Gateshead Central were bad !!! 

Of all the bad practice or illegal stuff I've seen them do City Transport really take the biscuit. 

So I've just gotten off of the 701 (disclaimer I was sitting upstairs at the front) when I got on I saw someone sitting in the luggage bay and another one standing talking to the driver at the front talking to him and blocking the way/ being very ignorant when people were getting on. Throughout this journey there was a lot of beeping involved from other cars and our bus. However, I thought it was just rush hour around the vile hospital which is usually a nightmare anyways. Although I started to notice a pattern (from reflections) by our driver seemed allergic to the indicator. When I got off the bus said person in the luggage bay was now sitting on the part of the bus at the very front basically on the bit plastic in front of the windscreen. This also was when the bus is in motion and was definitely an obstruction to the drivers view!

Other things I've seen previously are ignoring red lights and crossings, driver shouting at me and someone else telling me I had to get off the middle doors only when 99% of buses don't have middle doors so how were we supposed to know. Then the next time the same driver shouting at someone at why they tried to exit the back doors (just waiting for them to open) when he hadn't opened them. 

And honestly been so many things.

Has anyone else seen anything negative with City Transport or is it just me?

Yes, they shouldn’t even be allowed near a Nexus Contract. They’re a total disgrace. 

Gateshead Central Taxis aren’t the best, but I don’t think they go out of their way to be awful to customers like these lot do.

Tribunal:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk...easons.pdf

Easier to read summary:
https://thestrayferret.co.uk/tag/james-fairchild/

co

(Yesterday, 6:22 pm)logidoodah wrote And I thought Gateshead Central were bad !!! 

Of all the bad practice or illegal stuff I've seen them do City Transport really take the biscuit. 

So I've just gotten off of the 701 (disclaimer I was sitting upstairs at the front) when I got on I saw someone sitting in the luggage bay and another one standing talking to the driver at the front talking to him and blocking the way/ being very ignorant when people were getting on. Throughout this journey there was a lot of beeping involved from other cars and our bus. However, I thought it was just rush hour around the vile hospital which is usually a nightmare anyways. Although I started to notice a pattern (from reflections) by our driver seemed allergic to the indicator. When I got off the bus said person in the luggage bay was now sitting on the part of the bus at the very front basically on the bit plastic in front of the windscreen. This also was when the bus is in motion and was definitely an obstruction to the drivers view!

Other things I've seen previously are ignoring red lights and crossings, driver shouting at me and someone else telling me I had to get off the middle doors only when 99% of buses don't have middle doors so how were we supposed to know. Then the next time the same driver shouting at someone at why they tried to exit the back doors (just waiting for them to open) when he hadn't opened them. 

And honestly been so many things.

Has anyone else seen anything negative with City Transport or is it just me?

See them Daily on Chester Road and they are an absolute embarrassment! The amount of times they’ve ploughed through red lights bottom of Chester Road I’ve lost count (Nearly caused an accident on Wednesday with a Northern Bus) Seen drivers use there phones at the wheel, driving with headphones in, bus spotters stopping passengers getting on then being rude. Personally should be reported to Nexus and Sunderland Council because they don’t know how to run a service

Not just City driving with headphones, a lot of Northstar do this... I really don't understand how this is legal?!

(3 hours ago)idiot wrote Not just City driving with headphones, a lot of Northstar do this... I really don't understand how this is legal?!

I don't understand why it should be illegal? Music in your ear doesn't distract you and if it does then you're not qualified to be a driver. Cars have radios, so why can't bus drivers enjoy music? 

As long as they can still hear the passengers requests, earphones are the least of the issues at bus companies.

(3 hours ago)SN69 ZRC wrote I don't understand why it should be illegal? Music in your ear doesn't distract you and if it does then you're not qualified to be a driver. Cars have radios, so why can't bus drivers enjoy music? 

As long as they can still hear the passengers requests, earphones are the least of the issues at bus companies.

It may be legal, but it's not professional and we are talking about professional drivers here.

(3 hours ago)Kimlfixit wrote It may be legal, but it's not professional and we are talking about professional drivers here.

But who are you, someone who doesn't own a bus company, telling a bus company now to correctly run a bus company?

Would you tell a mother how to raise her child?

Would you tell a driving instructor how to teach someone how to drive?

And let me just make myself clear, I hate City as much as the next person, but using the earphones argument shouldn't even be in the question.

Professionalism lies within company policy, if the company allow it then using headphones isn't really that unprofessional.

Like genuinelly, who is affected by a driver wearing earphones if they're driving safe?

(3 hours ago)SN69 ZRC wrote But who are you, someone who doesn't own a bus company, telling a bus company now to correctly run a bus company?

Would you tell a mother how to raise her child?

Would you tell a driving instructor how to teach someone how to drive?

And let me just make myself clear, I hate City as much as the next person, but using the earphones argument shouldn't even be in the question.

Professionalism lies within company policy, if the company allow it then using headphones isn't really that unprofessional.

Like genuinelly, who is affected by a driver wearing earphones if they're driving safe? 

Theres a lot online about their use and whether or not they're safe to use. 
Particularly those that are noise cancelling.

(5 hours ago)Ian1254 wrote See them Daily on Chester Road and they are an absolute embarrassment! The amount of times they’ve ploughed through red lights bottom of Chester Road I’ve lost count (Nearly caused an accident on Wednesday with a Northern Bus) Seen drivers use there phones at the wheel, driving with headphones in, bus spotters stopping passengers getting on then being rude. Personally should be reported to Nexus and Sunderland Council because they don’t know how to run a service

So have you reported any of this then?

Must admit ..I see and use them all the time...never had a bad experience and only ever been polite.

(2 hours ago)Andreos1 wrote Theres a lot online about their use and whether or not they're safe to use. 
Particularly those that are noise cancelling.

Well there would obviously be restrictions to it. Like I said, as long as they've only got the one earphone in the opposite ear to what they listen to the passengers with, then that would be fine. They're obviously not going to allow gamer-styled noise cancelling headphones.

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(41 minutes ago)LVK 404L wrote Must admit ..I see and use them all the time...never had a bad experience and only ever been polite.

Handful of City drivers are spot on. It's the company itself that I don't like. Cowboy managers. But without mentioning any names, I can thinking of one driver who has some pretty unpopular views and opinion regarding life and he cannot handle the fact that 99% of people disagree with him.

(2 hours ago)Andreos1 wrote Theres a lot online about their use and whether or not they're safe to use. 
Particularly those that are noise cancelling.

Are they any worse than any other distraction? Such as a toddler kicking and screaming for the entire journey, loud music in a car, or having a conversation with your front seat passenger? I guess this is why their use falls into the broad definition of driving without due care and attention, putting the onus on the driver to ensure that they are not distracted.

I wonder if they're also being used as hands-free access to a phone, say for in event of heavy traffic or road closures? Smaller operators tend not to have radios, so it'll be a phone call back to base to keep them updated, unless the Ticketer machines have been improved to a point they can now do this?

Even if it's for music, I wouldn't really have an issue as long as it's not detracting from the service provided to customers.