(11 Nov 2014, 9:07 pm)mrnut85 wrote 16833 is at South Shields and is a fleet reserve bus for the X34 only, it will be used to time correct the service and it's being used as it is a spare unlike any E400 from Newcastle.

It may have been in a reserve capacity, but in my opinion, that does not warrant its transfer to South Shields to act as an active reserve vehicle for service X34. Newcastle's Enviro400s were not 'spare' in the summer when they were used to provide transport for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, nor were they 'spare' a few weeks back when they saw use on shuttle services elsewhere... Instead, MAN 18.220LF/Alexander ALX300 vehicles were used to cover for them at Newcastle.

Why couldn't this have happened again?

(11 Nov 2014, 9:18 pm)AIG20 wrote I'm sure South Tyneside Council was the reason why Stagecoach and GNE got rid of most of the high-floor vehicles that operated within South Tyneside.

Could you be thinking of the East Gateshead Quality Partnership? If so, this does not affect Stagecoach's X34 service, as the partnership only involves Go North East's services; even so, I don't think the parties involved would be able to issue fines on commercially-operated runs based on vehicle allocation.