(06 Aug 2023, 12:59 pm)Dan wrote Out of interest, makes you think the 37 and 38 are more desirable to customers than the 352 and 355?
It can’t be frequency, as both operators are providing services every half an hour (albeit GNE’s being co-ordinated with other services).
I have asked on a number of occasions now as this seems to have been said multiple times, and nobody has been able to give me an answer. As far as I can see, Stagecoach’s offering is less desirable during the day (does not serve Haymarket, replacement for the 55 taking a longer route via Freeman Hospital instead of being a direct bus into town, lengthy layover in Forest Hall) - the only real advantage is that they are providing an evening service (funded by Nexus).
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My views on it are purely focused on the 37 and the 352, I think the 38/355 situation is more complicated.
The 37 is double the frequency of the 352, and has hourly evening & Sunday services (that they are Nexus funded is largely irrelevant, regular commuters have no idea that it's secured, but likely more willing to use a service if they know they can get it home later!). You've said the GNE options are half hourly combined, but that's only between Cramlington and Killingworth. Given it's more frequent, and more reliable, people paying for weekly and monthly tickets are more likely to go for the 37 imo.
The 355 is probably better than the 38 although, given the demographic I tend to see on the 55, a link to the hospital could potentially be quite useful.
Since the Stagecoach services are simply extensions to current successful services is it not also a far lower risk to Stagecoach, and potentially easier for them to make the numbers work longer term?