(20 Apr 2021, 3:49 pm)L469 YVK wrote Not as effective as two way radios though. With GNE, if a trunk route (21, X1, 56) or group of routes (10's, Cobalts) running on exact common sections heading to a common terminus are running late, they can be regulated with passengers transfering on one behind or that plus passengers heading to terminus taken "non stop".

Arriva still has to rely on driver discretion for that to happen.

Personally I prefer the way that Arriva do it with regulating things at a certain point; Ashington - Ashington Bus Station, Blyth - Blyth Bus Station, Jesmond - Haymarket Bus Station, Durham - Durham Bus Station and when a service running late just running an extra bus out or sending out a bus which is sitting around for 10 minutes in a layover straight away and sending the bus 10 minutes late on the bus which was on a layover.

It's much less of a piss on than buses terminating early ie at Gateshead and leaving customers dumped to get another bus or having to wait an extra 20 minutes at the terminus because the late one turned round short.

It's one of the worst things about GNE imo and why brands are crap as it forces you to do it that way unless you don't care about buses being on wrong routes (Arriva Blyth / Jesmond). Sometimes it's better to have someone on the ground regulating things rather than sitting in an office 10 mile away from where the buses are.

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Also I still don't understand why the X11 serves Middlesbrough and Billingham, surely it would be better to save the 25 mins or so than diverting through 2 points which people won't get on - in particular with Middlesbrough because of the cost.