(20 Mar 2021, 9:55 pm)Clifton Hignett III wrote I'm quite disappointed that this service is set to depart Newcastle before 9:30am. As a pensioner, I was quite looking forward to concessionary pass on the journey down to Scarborough with Leyland, Mys Polis, and the kids. However that doesn't necessarily scupper the plans for our party of five...
Looking at the timetable, it would be possible for me to dawdle down to Whitby on my Jack Jones and catch the X11 down to Scarborough at 14:35 and spending an hour or so with my friends before catching the X11 back to Newcastle at 17:45.
However one thing does worry me....
What would happen if the bus had a full load down to Scarborough but additional passengers wanted to travel back like in the scenario I've presented. Now, being a reasonable man, I would not want to prevent people who bought tickets specifically for that journey from travelling. I mean, I'm a celebrity in the area, there's even a hotel named in my honour called 'The Clifton' so it wouldn't be hard for me to procure a room for me (and perhaps Mys Polis) in the area at short notice for a low fee. But what would happen if some old reprobate decided not to play ball? Could Go North East refuse travel to a potentially vulnerable pensioner with a valid pass? Or would they ask East Yorkshire Motor Services for a loan of a vehicle to duplicate the service?
Or there is the option that pass holders could, shock & horror, pay for their carriage. Passes are fantastic for socially and economically necessary journeys where supply of seats is greater than demand. I feel sorry for the inevitable single-parent family from their social housing turned away at Peterlee because the bus is full of pass holders from Jesmond & Gosforth.