(10 May 2018, 12:12 pm)Jamie M wrote An hour on the X21 covers 10 kilometres more of it's journey than an hour run on the 310. It's longer distance in the same time, this means more BSOG payment by some margin at the end of the day.
Just between the Newcastle -> Durham section of the X21 and the whole of the 310 between Newcastle -> North Shields 7am -> 5pm in a day (take 6p per kilometre):
310: 18 kilometres -> £0.29 38 trips -> £11.02
X21: 28 Kilometres -> £0.45 25 trips -> £11.25
So just the fast part of the X21 earns more BSOG in a day period than the 310 does in that same period of time.
The Misc X39 (10km @6p over 3 trips) / 309 trips £10.50 (29km @ 6p over 5 trips)
The southern part of the X21 is another £11.22 (11km @ 6p over 30 trips)
BSOG on 310/X39 with select 309 journeys comes to £21.52 x 2 = £43.04
BSOG on X21 comes to £22.47 x 2 = £44.94
So the conclusion here is the X21 saves the most money. The routes are very similar in terms of speedlimits offered (on 309) so I would discredit any argument about reliability. The GKN modification doesn't seem relevant to the discussion of reliability or indeed anything, unless it saves more money offered than the Euro 6 MH Streetdecks. The only way you're going to make a cost-effective based move is if that is true. The statement that "iif they weren't deemed too heavy duty" is mere opinion at this moment in time, unless you have any data to support your argument.
Again, you can't have it both ways and this only invalidates your point. The longer and faster the trip, the more distance covered in the same time, hence higher BSOG payments. It only makes sense to allocate the higher-BSOG paying buses to where they would earn the most money!
Not wanting to split hairs in a post I tend to agree with, the BIB is the only part I disagree with.
It may be that the allocation of a vehicle picking up enhanced BSOG payments makes a route viable.
Whilst the 310 may make money and swapping it with vehicles from the X21 may not make too much sense from a financial perspective, the allocation of the B5's to the 1, should assist its margins and help maintain frequency on the quieter sections of the route.
Not only that, but there may be a case for a better mpg compared to the Omni's.
I've not been fortunate/unfortunate enough to ride or follow a B5 up the hillier sections of the route, so can't comment on the suitability from that perspective.