(23 Feb 2014, 12:34 pm)Kuyoyo wrote You seem to have an odd idea how radios work on buses - drivers can't contact other vehicles only a central control (Stagecoach's control is based at each depot) then any major information (road closure, accident etc) is passed by the control to the other vehicles (only messages from control can be heard on the other vehicles on the road). Arriva did have radios until last year when their central control at Jesmond was closed. Instead, drivers now simply contact their depot on the phone (obviously when safe to use the phone) to report late running or to report a breakdown.

That's what he said!

(24 Feb 2014, 7:20 pm)andreos1 wrote I blame Thatcher!
If she hadn't shut down the pits - the populations of East Durham (and those working in the area), would still be using the services that went to each and every one of the colliery villages in the area.

Since the working population (those who do work) now travel away to out of town call centres or industrial estates, the demand that existed for public transport through to Sunderland has waned.
Just look at the old United or TMS timetables to see the reductions over the years.

ANE have down the same route others have and have focused routes down certain core corridors throughout East Durham.
IF (and it is a big if), ANE managed to keep the tendered work or adapt it when taken on commercially, I have a feeling the entire network across that area would be totally different.

Poppycock! The services in Teesside have been decimated and we've never had a pit here! Deregulation has not been to blame for the cuts in services. The operators were milking the ratepayers for millions before then. After deregulation the system of supported services worked well (eg under Cleveland County), saving millions of pounds a year on the previous system, until local authorities got greedy and wanted to save even more and saw bus services as an easy target. And as someone else mentioned, if it wasn't for Mrs T we'd still have all the Tyne and Wear buses running round in yellow regardless of operator so there's another good thing she did.

(27 Feb 2014, 6:02 pm)Roland Pratt wrote That's interesting. Will Darlington still work it then?

When does it start? Is it same days of operation as Moorsbus used to be?

(25 Feb 2014, 1:13 pm)Chris wrote Which is where your 'Low Cost' units come in. All the rage back in the eighties, but I'd be surprised if the cost differential between 'low cost' and 'full cost' is as high now as it was back then. The days of bread vans are thankfully near enough gone.

So you'd rather have nothing at all than a 'bread van'?!