(04 Feb 2021, 6:11 pm)Storx wrote I'm sorry but the upgrades to WiFi and other stuff doesn't account for the cuts that GNE have done in certain areas and I agree with Andreos1 strongly.

One of your positives for Arriva is that they run their own evening and Sunday services, but a lot of these are either tendered or receive a de-minimis payment, just like Go North East's services. The difference between them is that Arriva retained their contracts, and they weren't awarded to another operator, as we've seen with Go North East. Come on, Storx, be fair.

There's absolutely no denying the improvements Stagecoach have made, but this has arguably come at the detriment of Go North East's services in this area (exactly what you're complaining about). If there aren't enough customers between the two operators, and passengers have given their custom to Stagecoach (despite all the whizzy gadgets and better marketing from Go North East), then ultimately this will result in service reductions due to the abstraction it has caused. North Tyneside is heavily over-bussed as it's incredibly competitive, and there are no where near enough passengers for all three operators to make a profit.

It does in part support Andreos1's argument that operators need to get the basics (predominantly pricing!) right first, before thinking about any whizzy gadgets, but where I disagree with him, is that he seems to have the belief that the two are mutually exclusive. As I mentioned in my previous post, the current limitations of government support for bus services does mean that 'the basics' can't be changed, but in ordinary circumstances, there's no reason why operators can't do both. It just seems that they rarely do (and that goes for all three, not just Go North East).

And whilst Stagecoach have undeniably done great work in North Tyneside, please don't forget about poor old Sunderland, where they have significantly reduced the network...