(09 Apr 2020, 11:43 pm)mb134 wrote For Jesmond it'll be to provide increased capacity. 

Ashington and Blyth using MPDs may also be due to seats, or even how reliable/fuel efficient they are. Possibly also if the MPDs have recently had MOTs etc then they'll need less work done to them. 

I imagine, as said above, though that Arriva's engineering has looked at it and decided that it might be better to keep as much of the fleet as possible in use in rotation.

It just seems an odd choice to increase the capacity so much on routes which don't usually have deckers but it seems Arriva have a different approach up here than GNE as I've noticed Blyth aren't using the Solos and are using the Pulsars instead so it seems they have put the passenger first rather than money by giving more space to spread out.

(10 Apr 2020, 1:47 pm)scanialover wrote Would suggest that Arriva, at least Dormanstown and Stockton which are on my patch, are rotating vehicles, as opposed to taking a number out of service. Don't get to see that many due to keeping to the guidelines but that's what it looks like. Anyone else got any thoughts.

Arriva definitely haven't withdrawn anything as if you search any bus on https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk nothing is SORN whereas all the GNE and Stagecoach withdrawn buses are. They've even renewed the tax for some vehicles including NK05 GVX (1760) which has pretty much been on the 58 everyday the past week which would be the first bus you'd withdraw otherwise.