(26 Feb 2020, 1:06 pm)Storx wrote It's a weird one the 19, if I'm right it was the first bus to be branded in the newer styles (full branding). I might be wrong there, if so what was it? Yet nowadays it's just nothing really.
Bit off topic here but totally forgot about it until you mentioned it and it's still imo the nicest livery GNE has ever had as it was basic yet modern before they went stupid and overboard. Same with the original Cobalt Clipper.
These for those who can't remember:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stagecoachuk/10853794106 - Route 19
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ten6083/30188664468 - Cobalt Clipper
Pretty much the 22, 309, 310, X39, X6, 22X and the lot have killed it tho as you can get most places direct now without changing.
The problem is the 19 is it's £3.10 for a single and £5.30 for a return from Seaton Delaval to Northumberland Park. Once you then add on the metro on top of that at your talking £8.50 - £10.60 a day depending on where your going. Even with passes you can't get it down that much possibly down to the £7.40 mark. (It's upto £150 a month).
Until realistic multi operator tickets exist for the whole of the N. East your never going to sort traffic problems out, putting bike lanes in Gosforth isn't going to solve the issues with people driving from SE Northumberland and with prices like that it's not realistic to use public transport. That's nearly 2 hours a day of some peoples wages.
That Route 19 livery looks an awful lot better than some of their current ones! That would have looked quite good if they'd done that for The 49
(26 Feb 2020, 1:07 pm)Rob44 wrote Seen as we are on about day tickets.... are they transferable? On the ones ive had ive not notice anything to say that you cant pass it on to someone else after your done with it?
Technically no according to the ticket terms and conditions, but realistically they have no way of checking unless they check the CCTV
8. Tickets are not transferable and may be used only by the person for whom the ticket was purchased (and named on the key smartcard if being used for). If a ticket is transferred, it will be confiscated and both the person to whom it was issued and the person to whom it was transferred or attempted to be transferred, will be liable to prosecution.
(26 Feb 2020, 1:09 pm)Andreos1 wrote Why shouldn't those people be encouraged to use the bus?
Why should it just be certain types of people?
It's cheaper to cadge a lift (clogging up the roads when doing so and probably delaying buses) to the station.
It's probably easier for some to do that judging by the number of cars clogging up roads around Durham and Newcastle stations.
Whether they're making the return trip or not the same day, they're making the conscious decision to not use the bus.
Is it because using the bus isn't convenient or is it because getting a lift is cheaper?
Each person getting a lift to the station is a potential bus passenger. To ignore them, would be folly.
Looking at the stats for central station.
2018/19
8.914 million
– Interchange
0.376 million
Let's say 1% of those passengers were dropped off/collected by car.
You're telling me, that those sorts of numbers wouldn't make a difference to the timekeeping, success or failure of a service and they're probably not the sort of passengers a bus operator would encourage to use the bus?
For those types of people (catching the train especially), the cost of a single ticket is probably a drop in the ocean compared to what they've already paid. Not that that's an excuse, but it's the truth!
I personally don't think the ticket prices are that unreasonable, sure they're not a £1.50 flat fare, but they're also not heavily subsidised either!
If you compare to a taxi, it's probably still cheaper (unless you're in a group, but then you're still having multiple people in a vehicle)