(07 Jul 2014, 9:04 am)Dan wrote It's the same in the retail industry too - they don't publish a list of products they've discontinued because they're not selling as well as they'd have liked. Customers have to actually go to the shop and ask a sales assistant where their desired product is before being told that the product has been discontinued.

I think 'dishonest' is a tad harsh and a bit extreme. Unlike in the retail industry, the transport industry lets customers know that there are going to be some changes, though frustratingly, the specifics of these changes are very rarely given (the exception being when more journeys are being added). Both timetables remain online until the services do actually change, and for most bus operators, they give these in about a month in advance. I'm really not sure how it's 'dishonest' if these operators are alerting customers to service changes, allowing both timetables to remain online, and having Customer Services agents there to answer any questions regarding specific journeys being cut.

Once again, I think we must look at the full picture. I feel that one of the reasons why bus operators (and you can include the likes of Nexus for the Metro too - on their last service changes, they did not include any details of what the changes were, and Brandon had to go through and amend his master timetable accordingly by comparing each and every station timetable) don't include the full information of all service cuts is because it presents them in a bad light. It presents them in a bad light through the eyes of customers because I feel they often don't realise that a bus service contributes to a business' success or demise.

How many times have you seen a post on Facebook by Go North East (or any other operator) indicating that there will be service changes to services 39, 60, 61 and X3 - yet you still get comments saying 'Will the 44 be changing?'
If there was details saying 'The 1900 journey of service 39 will be withdrawn due to low passenger numbers, the 2235 journey on service 60 will be withdrawn due to low passenger numbers', customers on the 44 then might take to the Social Media pages and complain that GNE (or other operators) are always cutting back services and how unfair it is.
Normal customers have a lot less knowledge of the industry than we do, and they won't realise that bus operators self-subsidise as much as possible before making cuts. They won't realise that the cuts are a last resort, and it really is because the service is not making money, or it is just scraping break-even and therefore too risky to continue.

As nk55 says, it's those who don't even influence these changes who end up getting it worst from customers too. I can't help but feel adding specific details - especially when it concerns customers losing out on a service that they use - would be lighting fuel to the fire.