(09 Aug 2021, 10:21 am)Dan wrote There is a framework that operators need to be added to.

Arriva chose not to sign up to this framework - it'd be farcical to suggest that an issue on one day due to traffic congestion and roadworks would cause them to take this stance, probably more so that there's an enormous amount of work that goes into planning duties, allocating shifts, and ensuring drivers are suitably trained, before taking on such a job. As Arriva do them so infrequently, they probably haven't got drivers route learned, whereas because Go North East do them so regularly, there's a pool of drievrs that know the route so don't require any additional route learning prior.