(27 Sep 2026, 7:29 pm)Nerd4321 wrote Why are so admit behind Kim and this fantasies shes got planned. 

"Simple tickets & better value for money"

How can that be your first point when you scrapped the £6 t&w day rover and then made everyone buy the £6.80 tne day saver then up the price to £7.50. And then say "better value for money" cause it aint. One point on this thing already a lie

Because I've followed this for a number of years, read the franchising scheme assessment in full, and my conclusion is that this is a good scheme for the North East. It's not my ideal scheme, because if it were, then NEMSA would be running their own buses too. 

Removing the Tyne and Wear variant of the Day Rover was a mistake in my opinion, but you're seemingly not understanding the politics at play behind that decision, nor the trajectory of the Day Rover before NEMSA started subsidising it. 

You will recall that before the Mayor's fares were a thing, operators already had Network One as a delivery body to operate a multi-modal/multi-operator ticketing scheme. This was permitted way to avoid accusations of price-fixing or anti-competitiveness. Before NEMSA provided funding (subsidy) for a T&W Day Ticket and a Day Rover, the equivalent of a T&W Day Ticket had already risen to £7.80 by Feb 2020. 

Now if you take inflation into account, that ticket should have been £10.16 by now according to the BoE's inflation calculator, if it only rose by inflation - and that's without Northumberland and County Durham having an option. As we know, however, fares have often risen above the rate of inflation over the past 40 years.

You also have to bare in mind, that under the current model, the Mayor has no ability to demand that an operator accepts Mayor Fares. In the same way as an operator can't be forced to set fares at £3.00 and can opt out. The Mayors fares had to go through a process of a compensation formula being agreed with the operators, and the formula that we have is costly. The Mayor reducing the £3.00 single by 50p was forecast to cost around £6m a year in reimbursement, by way of example.

So £7.50 for a North East-wide ticket, whilst dealing with cut-throats in the private sector, still offers exceptional value for money in 2026.

(27 Sep 2026, 7:29 pm)Nerd4321 wrote "Route & timetable would be planned more consistent to help connect buses & reduce cuts"

Okay so what if they do this and cut routes that dont serve a purpose. Thats not improvement thats going back on yourself. She's done naff all about services being cut recently. Yeah she made a post but has she gone to councils and said anything. Course she hasn't. 

Isn't that what the private sector have ruthlessly done over the past 40 years, which has actually gotten us into this position? Buses that serve shareholders, not the communities that they drive around. 

The vision is clear that there'll be a proper thought process into route and timetable changes, with the communities they serve actually having a say, rather than the primary driving factor being operational efficiency and profit.

I don't know why you'd expect her to go to Councils and say anything?

(27 Sep 2026, 7:29 pm)Nerd4321 wrote "Consistent & increase safety measurements"

Clearly aint working as Meadow Well is a war zone most day & nights now. Travelling on the metro is a death sentence at nights & Haymarket & Eldon & Metrocentre are rammed with chaos with chavs messing about & druggy people shouting causing arguments and even fighting. Wheres the staff where you need them or even the police. Nowhere so why propose it if its not already here

As Ambassador points out, this is a policing issue that you're complaining about. Even if you have a staffing presence, which the franchising scheme will deliver, they're still going to be limited in what action or intervention they can make. 

(27 Sep 2026, 7:29 pm)Nerd4321 wrote "One place to find information" 

Its here and its the worst thing to navigate. What was wrong with the nexus page before. It was updated constantly and on time. Half the diversions that happen aint even mentioned and even some timetable changes aint shown either

Isn't that the result of each operator having their own operational and customer service team? If nobody tells the folks at NEMSA about the diversions, then how do you expect them to update the website? 

The FSA describes customer service as a cross-tower function (as it should be!), so this should improve once everything is under one set of management.

(27 Sep 2026, 7:29 pm)Nerd4321 wrote "One recognise brand to help passenger travel with confidence"

Yeah like passenger give a care about how there bus looks. Most people be lucky to get a bus service these days yet there promises that a new one brand will help all. Aye course it will. Course it wont. Passengers want a bus not a bloody clown bus livery turning up. Long as it runs thats all they care about 

That's not the issue though, is it? It's the fact that buses turn up in just about every colour and customers don't understand why they can't use their return on this bus, their weekly ticket isn't valid on that bus, or even which colour bus to look out for. 

One brand of bus that everyone recognises as a North East bus. It'll also help to distinguish those not included in the model, such as coaches.

(27 Sep 2026, 7:29 pm)Nerd4321 wrote "Greater ability for people to have a say on there network"

They do its called consultations. And so what. The company's dont care. Also they want to withdraw a service if nobody's using it. Take the M71 for example. Was supposed to be cut in March but was saved due to an infulux of people using it. Dont use the service then whys it there to begin with. A waste of money yet they winge its gone when they dont actually use it. While on this topic. The grace everyone wanted the metro to Washington. Plans came out and ive not seen one postive cause why would it be. It servers the out skirts of Washington and servers no reason to be there. If and if franchising was to come in. What would be the point in the metro if you state in the one point of show is "make transport easier and better" well that makes the Metro to Washington completely useless as more bus routes will just be introduced to combat the metro like the airport section. One bus route from Newcastle to Airport and it doesn't even serve inside the grounds cause the metros there

No, they do surveys. A consultation is a two-way process, which is not what anyone does up here other than Nexus. Even the changes in the BSIP haven't resolved this, and most operators treat it as a paper exercise.

Other than that, this is just a diatribe. The two Metro consultation events that I attended were full of positive comments.

(27 Sep 2026, 7:29 pm)Nerd4321 wrote "More public control over how buses are planned & delivered for the public not for profit"

So buses aint allowed to make a profit and should be for the people where more these days people are driving because transport in the North East is shocking yet some people have the mind set that Kim is the 2nd coming of Jesus to save the North East when so far shes killing it and then promise all these things. She said she would cut metro fares. She didn't. Only if you have that stupid plastic blue card then its the fare you asked for. Same with the bus fare. It should be affordable. So why cut one of the tickets then increase the price again. Thats not helping your case in being in the public eye. But no wheres Kim when that happens. Nowhere cause shes failed at a promise she made

Disagree all yours want. But read the signs in front of you. Franchising will not work until a sustainable network happens up here. Will it ever. Course it wont. All these buses paid for by the government & Kim. Yet they aint even allocated to what they should be. Constant non electrics on the Voltra routes. The 43s cant even have BYD on all day cause of the milage. So whats the point 

Disagree or agree with this but this consultations is complete and utter waste of time. Plus how can we have Franchising & a Metro to Washington & an extension of the Northumberland Line. All at the same time. Yeah two out the 3 projects or all 3 will be cancelled or changed in some way

Again, this is just a diatribe or an angry mashing of the keyboard. 

She has cut Metro fares. Just as she has cut bus fares. You might not like that, but factually it's correct.

You also rant about franchising not working because buses not being allocated to the correct routes. What do you expect the Mayor to do, go and frogmarch them back to the depot to reallocate correctly?

You may only be able to manage a single task at a time, but you haven't got a large team delivering you and your Cabinet's agenda. You've also no idea how Government funding works.

Consultation has closed now anyway, so I'm sure they'll look forward to considering your input.