(26 Jun 2020, 4:29 pm)S830OFT wrote If the North East was to roll bus franchising out, would vehicles operating services be required to operate in the NexusBus livery? Also with the likes of Stagecoach saying it will lead to higher taxes and lack of investment is completely untrue. If you take a look at TFL, services operate efficiently, and despite a higher subsidy the network of services are more accessible and understandable by the general public with the simple Oyster card.

It's the areas where only one operator runs is where you find the most problems. Look at Jarrow for example, dominated by Go North East although twice now they've changed the South Tyneside Hospital bus route, meaning as a result Nexus have had to step and provide the additional service. When the Metro was on strike last year, GNE took full advantage by charging normal fares.

If buses were franchised and there was one very affordable ticket that could be used on any form of Transport (not like the £7.80 Day Rover) then you would have more people using services and have services better connected.

And my final point is how Stagecoach treat their X24/X34 passengers by refusing to pay the bus station departure chargers, and as a result cause extra congestion on Pilgrim Street, not the nicest place to wait when everybody seems to push to get on the bus if it stops in the wrong place. I understand these services need to make a profit to keep them going, and with Stagecoach trying to do everything they can to reduce costs it seems passengers are not getting a good deal. And lets not forget how much the price of a day rider on Stagecoach has gone up, now £4.70 when it was only £3.90 when the X24 first started...

1. Oyster Card is far from simple!! Yes if you only use the bus, but if your journey involves Underground, overground or rail (which many do, as buses are slow due to traffic) it has many zonal combinations and fares are a lot higher than Tyne & Wear - e.g. Zone 1 to 4 daily cap (same as Newcastle to Whitley Bay) is £10.40, £51.90 weekly cap.
2. Population density in London is a lot higher than Tyne & Wear, so buses are bound to be busier, more frequent. To change this in the north east requires the councils to change planning rules - no big estates at Callerton for example.
3. The Congestion and Low Emission Zone charges mean that car ownership in London is a lot lower, and it brings in a lot of £s to subsidise transport - unless councils up here do the same, car ownership won't drop.
4. London is London - capital of the UK, business centre, attracts lots of foreign visitors etc.  - so you can't compare it with anywhere else.
5. The Manchester franchising scheme (thousands of pages to read) is based on passenger numbers still falling, and fares increasing above inflation. It doesn't offer "Better bus services" as many suggest.
6. Any franchising/contracting/concession scheme is likely to reduce bus services and move towards more integration with rail/Metro etc. - which of course means lower frequency and higher fares as passengers have to buy the multi modal ticket as opposed to a bus only ticket.