(18 May 2021, 8:58 am)streetdeckfan wrote For me, it depends on where I'm wanting to go.In 2015 a Stagecoach driver in Sunderland saw my Explorer purchased on an Arriva bus and immediately said my ticket was not valid. I mentioned it was an Explorer then he was ok.
If I'm just going a few stops, Arriva are usually cheaper. For me to get into Bishop it's £1.40 with Arriva and I believe £1.50 with GNE. But if I'm going further afield like Durham, GNE are cheaper because of the 5-25 day ticket only being £4.50.
It's the main reason I still spend a lot of time up in Newcastle, it's actually cheaper for me than going to Darlington, which is half the distance and a third of the time!
It's also cheaper for me to visit a friend in Hexham (37 miles) than it is for me to visit my mother in Crook (7 miles), once again, it only costs me £4.50 to get to Hexham and back, but it'd be £4.90 to Crook with Arriva
In Leeds just over a year ago I purchased a West Yorkshire Bus Daysaver - successor to MetroDay - valid on all companies' buses. I started my day on a Transdev Keighley bus but all other companies' scanners declined it. The drivers looked at it and were fine about it. It just means their scanners are not fully accurately programmed as yet.