(05 Aug 2015, 7:39 pm)Dan wrote Ah, we'll forgive you... Stagecoach's output on service 685 is operated by Cumbria & North Lancashire, rather than North East!
Yes, the ADL Enviro300s on service 100 are built to facilitate as many passengers as possible. There's a huge lack of legroom because Stagecoach have cramped as many seats as possible in those vehicles. It's great when the ALX300s deputise for the ADL Enviro300s, as they're a bit more roomy.
I live in Sunderland, and I have to say that the gas buses are the best thing since sliced bread in terms of what Stagecoach has invested into. I would have liked to see double deckers in Sunderland as services 16 and 20 often have full loads (with services 3 and 13 not far behind), but the gas buses are (by and large) fit for purpose during the day. The gas buses are quiet, comfortable and offer free Wi-Fi. You know exactly what you're getting when you board one of those gas buses - and that's not from an enthusiast perspective either.
Which is why I mentally ignored it and got nagged for my pains. It was a completely different beast (with a guy sat behind us who had full command of the F word as a noun, verb and adjective, much to my son's disgust - he strongly Disapproves of swearing!)
The gas buses do look very smart from the outside and probably contribute to Sunderland smelling an awful lot nicer than 15-20 years ago.