(30 Jul 2021, 1:25 pm)Drifter60 wrote Well just one of many reasons why I’m not a fan of brands featuring a place name, if they go outside that area. Sunderland District Berries works sort of okay, as it’s wholly within “Sunderland” and ‘District’ I guess implies we’re talking about wider Sunderland ie, Houghton and Washington. But Seaham isn’t Sunderland, so shouldn’t include Drifter or the 61 or the 9 either as that’s South Tyneside for a good section too. I mean I’m not a fan of the berries bit, but that’s a separate conversation. 
It’s the same reason why the 2xx routes based out of Peterlee depot shouldn’t be known as “Peterlee xxx” (seen that suggested) as Peterlee isn’t Seaham and neither is Durham. A few of the 2xx and the 60/61 routes go into places that aren’t solely Sunderland or Peterlee; namely Wingate, Seaham, Durham, Belmont, Dalton Park and Murton. 

It’s also clunky using place names within brands I find, the Sunderland District Drifter 60 to Sunderland? Or just the Drifter 60 to Sunderland? One sounds better on a Next Stop Announcement and is a simpler brand name to remember and use in conversation. And not mention brands such as Drifter and Prince Bishop have been around for 10-15 years, changing them and unnecessarily complicating and elongating them would be a mistake IMO.

Don’t forget the original SDO used to operate buses to Durham/Bishop Auckland/South Shields/Newcastle etc… and not just in the Sunderland district area

I don’t mind the brands, but don’t like route branding especially when the bus does other routes, especially on Arriva buses when anything from the depot turns up


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