(15 Dec 2013, 8:29 pm)Dan wrote Obvious difference being that, when red buses are allocated, it means that the branded vehicle was not available (hopefully due to the bus being VOR, rather than anything else).
If 8319 was to remain in its current livery, Go North East would be knowingly allocating a red bus to a branded service each day, for no reason other than to please a few nostalgic enthusiasts. 8319's livery will not increase ridership, reliability or punctuation - why would the average customer give a toss? Granted - some may, but they'd be in the minority.
Go North East have benefited from the publicity of the acts they've carried out to celebrate their centenary year, but they needn't dwell on it.
Is it about enthusiasts giving a toss or the ordinary passenger?
Who benefitted during the celebrations this year?
A business needs to keep an identity that is recognised and established.
Constantly changing names, brands, routes, numbers and colours doesn't do that (particularly in Sunderland).
Northern has been established 100 years, Go North East as a brand about 15? (give or take).
The brands on individual services, 6 or 7 years since they were introduced - with regular updates, changes and temporary ones since, which have all incurred extra cost.
Having one modern vehicle showing that despite all of the marketing, that the company is proud of its history, heritage and routes - is certainly worth keeping, from a business perspective more than anything else.