(10 Jun 2014, 2:44 pm)Dan wrote I don't really understand why Go North East would pay anywhere between £40k-£80k extra for heavy weight vehicles if they didn't think customers would benefit from a better experience with them, and acknowledge that fact too?

The "Connections 4" would have coped with full length Versas, so why did Go North East opt for Mercedes Citaros? The Mercs are built to last, and customers will experience a much higher level of comfort on a Merc than a Versa.

I've said this at least three times in the past - my mam knew that when a "Northern" branded vehicle was approaching, it was going to be one hell of a rattley bus (SPD), and she'd have to put her earphones in for the journey to make it more bearable. She doesn't have to do that on a Merc. She has absolutely no knowledge of buses whatsoever, but she knew that red buses turning up in place of a silver one on the Silver Arrows meant that it would have been a bad journey if she didn't have her earphones! Might I add this also links in with Go North East ditching the Northern name and investing in more 'red spares' - to change the public perception of red spares turning up in place of branded vehicle?

I'd hope we can at least mutually agree that we're either missing or misunderstanding each others points entirely.