(20 Jul 2023, 2:49 pm)Adrian wrote I think it's a good thing, and Arriva should absolutely be credited for it, but I do share concerns around it becoming complicated.
When this was done last year, I recall all the major bus operators plus Metro committed to the same deal. So customers knew it to be the case A to B.
If it's not rolled out across the others now, then kids either go free or not depending on their post code, where they're going to, or which forms of transport their journey requires. What happens on the Coast Road for example, where your journey to town might be free for the kids, but you're charged £1 each on the way back?
Ideally, this will be rolled out across the board again, but then it seems a bit of a waste when they've spent money on the Get around for £1 marketing campaign.
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I'm reckoning on 3 or 4 corridors that 'could lead' to confusion, across the entire region of thousands.
Stockton Road, Sunderland.
Coast Road, Newcastle.
Great North Road, Newcastle
Durham Road, Gateshead.
There may be another one or two I've missed. But either way...
If those corridors are enough to put a kybosh or dampener on something, because an operator has made a commercial decision to attract punters, go above and beyond the bare minimum and make travel even cheaper for families, then the whole world needs to stop and we all need to get off.
I agree, it would be lovely if everyone jumped on board. But that's up to the other operators to do. Not for ANE to stop.