(08 Jun 2023, 8:59 pm)Adrian wrote I tend to agree. Perhaps in a time when there were no real alternatives available to you, it was far easier for transport operators to expect you to work around their scheduling, rather than providing a schedule that was customer-centric. Nowadays, not only do you have cars so easily available to people, but most office-based employers will accept an application for homeworking if you can explain that your daily commute is awful. 

It's nearly 9 month since Go North East 'temporarily' suspended the X20. Using that provided a perfect route for me to get from Washington to Durham, using that and the 4. Not only did they suspend that, they made the 50 a game of snakes and ladders to get out of Washington. I ended up reverting to working from home permanently as a result of that, and it's single figures that I've been into an office since then. Saves me £100+ a month and loses an operator a customer.

(04 Aug 2023, 4:48 am)Dan wrote Don’t forget, the PVR increases on the 39 and X6 were PVR neutral (existing resource was just used more effectively to double the frequency of these routes).

Go North East had - and to an extent still does have - a surplus of Solos.

The Little Pinks were intended to replace Venture branded Solos following loss of the contract for the 19, but those Venture branded Solos were reinstated at Consett and Little Pinks displaced back to Washington for the 82.

The R2 was mobilised with Tynedale Links Solo 721, which was never actually withdrawn at Hexham and was just held as an additional spare bus.

An additional spare Solo was allocated to Deptford (increase from 2 to 3) when the changes to the 39 were made last month - Voyager branded 723 was reinstated at Hexham for the 689/785, displacing 672 to Deptford, in turn replacing a spare single-deck (fewer single-deck spares needed and greater minibus spares needed with the change to vehicle allocation on the 39).

643, 684 and 709 are all available to be reinstated if required. Following engine repairs and MOT, 684 will be returning to service at Washington this week in order to displace 680 to Deptford for the 38.

I wonder if there is a way of boosting the frequency of the 33 to every 15 minutes, but remaining PVR neutral?


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