(14 Jul 2022, 6:33 pm)Malarkey wrote I'd somewhat disagree with this statement given there hasn't been investment in new buses in the North East for almost 3 years (2019) with the last new vehicles before that coming in 2016, the last time there was a large investment in new buses was between 2013 to 2015 when Sunderland got the ADL E200's/Gas E300's and Stockton got E300's, South Shields also got E200's then compare that to other areas such as Manchester and ops up in Scotland which get investment year on year whereas Sunderland have had nothing now for 9 years, I would've thought there would've been further investment in the meantime to make Sunderland fully gas operational which was part of the original plan iirc.
Elsewhere Hartlepool depot have never had new buses to my memory and just get cast-offs from other local depots and it's shocking to think we still have 19 year old ALX300's operating daily on Newcastle Express Service to Throckley/Kingston Park and due to be transferred to Stockton ahead of the Emission Zone coming into effect if hasn't been pushed back again.
As far as I'm aware they're still trying to get money for Hydrogen buses in the Middlesbrough area. No point really buying loads of new buses if they're going to be displaced after a year or so, similar for Arriva no doubt down there.
I know the 36 was one of the first to be done which will release a large number of Enviro 200 MMC's to displace other stuff and no doubt there's going to be frequency cuts in Hartlepool, Sunderland and Teesside which haven't come in yet at some point which will no doubt see off most the ALX 300's. I know the 18 and 30 in Sunderland/South Tyneside are pretty much done for unless there's been a change in heart as they were going until the funding was extended.