(02 Apr 2021, 8:31 am)Dan wrote The remittance to an operator for use of an Explorer ticket is next to nothing. If you're buying an Explorer, you'd likely be the same passenger who would go to Scarborough by using the existing X9/X10 and X93 services. Especially while social distancing is in place, if you're an Explorer ticket holder, you're potentially taking up a seat that could have been allocated to a full fare-paying passenger. A harsh way of looking at it, but that's the current situation that we're in.
The £15 ticket, which is effectively an all-zones (including X9/X10) day ticket allowing additional travel to Whitby and Scarborough, is priced similarly to that of a coach trip ticket (£19.50 for this example). Go North East's equivalent offering is less as a normal service bus is not as desirable as a coach, but it has the added perk of having all Go North East services included, as well as the Beachcomber open-top bus service. Arguably there are reasons why it could have been priced at the same value (flexibility: you have to book a coach, but not this bus; and unlike the coach trip, the ticket also gives added flexibility, in that you can visit both Whitby and Scarborough in the same day) but I think that £15 is fairly priced and should enable Go North East to cover its costs adequately, with a reasonable load.
As with all seasonal services, the bus will not be full every single day (indeed if it's raining, chances are nobody will be on it and the service will run at a considerable loss that day), but the good days hopefully outweigh the bad.
Aye I think it's clear why Explorers won't be valid, especially in the current climate. I do think for the majority of folk, £15 is a fair price. Let's assume they're all wanting to use the Beachcomber, so we'll say it's really a £10 ticket.
An ANE NE Regionwide is £8.50 for an adult. An X9/X10 Plus is also £8.50. That's £17 for the trip.
Equally, the Explorer at £10.50 is still more expensive if we're assuming folk want the open top ride.
For the target market, which definitely isn't the enthusiast community, it's pretty well priced. I also don't think I've ever seen a non-enthusiast with an Explorer, obviously they will get sold but are many people aware of them?
From a personal point of view, the only reason I'd be doing the X11 is for a jolly on 6377 and to give a bit of support for the ambition. Again though, that's mainly because I have no reason to stay in Scarborough by myself all day (and if I suggested the idea to friends it would be shot down with a "this is why we have cars"), I enjoy the flexibility, and if we're honest enthusiasts will generally be wanting to get on a few vehicles a day - not spend it all waiting for one trip.
On the rainy day note Dan, get a B7 Gemini allocated and I might just have a second run on it.
