(13 Nov 2021, 10:29 am)Adrian wrote You can't blame staff shortages for this one. The Coast & Country Streetlites for example, and other similar batches, have rarely had working sockets/USB power since day 1. I lost count (although its probably somewhere on this forum) the amount of buses I reported to customer services or asked the driver to note it on the defect card. I actually offered to remove the sockets/USB stickers at one point free of charge  

If it's a feature that is advertised as part of a wider product, then I'd argue it is equally as important to ensure it's available. I just don't think depots see it at this, and it's not unique to Go North East. I had the same issue above with Arriva, which also went unresolved.

Yeah that's fair must admit my local buses don't have USB's so I wouldn't know.

Mind half the time it's questionable how much maintenance is done half the time (never mind USB's) with the amount of engine warning lights / alarms you see and the amount of buses which seem to be limp mode for more than one day (admit more of an Arriva problem there) or just sound outright unwell for weeks (and that's all 3 operators). From an outsider, there seems to a be a big, it isn't broke until it's at the side of the road mentality in recent years.

It's not exclusive to buses either as the Metro is just as bad, least buses don't have the problem with the heating being broken throughout the winter but then being on full blast in the summer months.