(14 Oct 2024, 1:26 pm)Adrian wrote The problem is, we keep building infrastructure that isn't!

Durham Bus Station is probably our most recent example (give or take a short period of time on North Shields), yet not a single stand could accommodate a dual door vehicle. Previously stand A could, but when they've rebuilt the station, the architects and their railings fetish strike again.

South Shields has one stand (P) that could be used for dual door vehicles, if again we didn't need pointless railings everywhere, and I've never been to North Shields, but looking at photos, there's no way you're getting a ramp out of rear doors there. 

I get that up here, single door vehicles are the norm, but when dual door vehicles are still very much compliant, it's a failing to not plan for their use when designing infrastructure, placing street furniture, raised/dropped kerbs and whatever else. Arguably in the same way that Eldon Square's re-build is too tight for the Plaxton coaches that were on the X9/X10.

I kind of disagree here in a way. Personally I don't see the need for dual door buses anywhere in the North East - we really don't have the loads and never will have either and having a mixture of both is just confusing for passengers as seen when they were on the 21. 

If it costs more more to build them especially at interchanges I'd say keep the savings instead. 

The council shouldn't be spending more money because operators can't get buses which are fit for purpose in the North East due to lack of time to find some or just lack of interest at all. 

It's very much fixing a problem which shouldn't exist imo.