(11 May 2022, 7:56 pm)N1cholas wrote Got nothing to do with the cost of living but with the unknown reason why they always (even pre-covid) go to the bus stop for the bus really early (from 0900 in some cases) to sit in the cold knowing fine well what time they can use it just to be front of the Q and on the hope of the 0925 bus running a few mins late so they can get into town before the metro papers have all gone from the buses, they really should do what county durham do and allow them to travel for 50p, would save the Q's and them sitting out in the cold

The 50p fare in County Durham is still enough to put them off from getting on pre 09:30, seen a few times they've turned round and got off because it wasn't 09:30 and didn't wish to pay.

Getting the buses into Darlington in the run up to 09:30 is infuriating, stopping at all the stops down North Road on the 5A the other week and they all just turn round and get off when told they can't use their pass.

I do wonder if the fact that some won't have phones with the exact time on is a factor as to why that happens so are using other measures which aren't as accurate?

I believe in some cases the concession passes can sometimes be scanned just prior to 09:30, think when GNE ran the OK1 in Darlington they could be scanned by 09:29 for a 09:30 departure.