(27 Jan 2022, 5:47 pm)Adrian wrote The problem with Bournmoor not being in the Tyne and Wear zone, is that it creates an issue with the 4 route that it exits Tyne and Wear for 2 or 3 stops, then returns through Fencehouses and on to Houghton. I may be wrong, but I'd assume the travel habits of people there are more aligned with Shiney Row and Houghton than they are Chester-le-Street.

It's a valid point about the 4. Although - there seems to have been a shift in this lately (possibly since last summer's fare introduction) whereby the "County Durham ticket" was valid from Seaham to Durham on the 65 service, despite it also entering T&W (for Hetton & Low Moorsley). Customer services on SM today seem to be backing up that point again, that you don't need a two zone to go on the 65, presumably the rule is as long as you start and finish in County Durham. Whereas, I always remember the old 208 bus, went through three of old buzzfare zones, for years Peterlee was Turquoise and Durham was Green but it via Easington Lane which was red, so it went into the red zone for the sake of a few stops (South Hetton was Turquoise and High Pittington was Green, so a very short ride in the red zone!) but the maps always made it known it was three zones point to point. Although I can't say I ever tested this.

On that note, forum favourite Fence Houses is of course split in two by the county boundary. I notice it's suspiciously absent from the map - so I do wonder where exactly is the line between "County Durham'' and "Tyne and Wear". As if the CD part of Fence Houses was in County Durham zone then the Bournmoor example seems odd. My guess is that Fence Houses is all TW zone and you don't enter the CD zone until you turn left for Woodstone Village. I understand the point about travel patterns and I assumed they've been looked at prior to deciding some of these outlier situations. To me it still feels odd, if you're a County Durham resident and taxpayer but you're not in the bus company's CD zone and instead Bournmoor residents using the 78 service to Chester-Le-Street will need a two zone ticket?

(27 Jan 2022, 5:47 pm)Adrian wrote Agree with the Sunderland ticket names. Maybe Sunderland & District would have been better (and brand consistent), and would have distinguished between the two tickets better.

I see this is already causing confusion, with a Facebook comment of someone saying that the City of Sunderland ticket won’t cover Easington Colliery as it’s County Durham. As the lady suggests, she thinks this is a mistake by GNE customer service but it’s not. Also another saying it’s not clear that Seaham to Sunderland won’t require a two zone, if you use said City of Sunderland ticket.

Also considering they have a “Newcastle + North Tyneside” and a “Durham City + South Durham” I can’t fathom why they haven’t had the foresight to do the same with the above. A piece of cake they say?