(04 Dec 2016, 6:45 pm)Ambassador wrote It was calculated and deceitful. Appalling customer service from a monopoly. If is was any other business the Competition and Markets Authority would be on it.
Some friends of mine visited Durham with me today. From Newcastle they paid Six pound return.
I paid the same from birtley. If I'd have walked a few hundred yards to the next stop it's One pound twenty cheaper.
It's absolutely criminal the pricing on routes. I wish someone would give them some competition to at least make them sit up and listen. When it's cheaper to drive, there's a problem
Fare increases on the quiet is the norm in Gtr. Manchester, if only because depot staff are slow in putting up notices in buses.
As for being cheaper to drive - how much is petrol and parking in the North East? Its virtually impossible for bus fares to be cheaper than driving in GM unless you do 75+ miles a week on the bus or work in Manchester itself and your employer doesn't provide free parking. Certainly, you can't compare Newcastle to Durham with any bus services here as the longest routes left are about 12 miles*
*excluding composite routes like the 22 (Stockport to Bolton) which takes up to 3 hours end to end.