(23 Nov 2014, 10:50 pm)Drifter60 wrote Just picking up on some of your points, you don't know this isn't a way to avoid getting opinions. Just like, I don't know that is a way of avoiding getting a true picture. You can't something is certain when really you don't know that 100%.
I do think it's more of a lazy decision rather than one 'to avoid getting opinions' though. I still stand by and think there should be more of a effort and a couple of days in park lane. Three days this week would be a better solution in my opinion.
I'm intrigued as to what the changes they proposing are. I can't see much 'wrong' with the sunderland network at the moment. Something tells me that it must be to do with the city services, if it's to do with things that go out of sunderland (20, 56, X35/X36, 60, 2A/2C, 61, 35) then I believe they should do consultations is these areas to- Seaham for 60, Durham/Houghton for 20, Houghton/South Shields for the 35s etc.
So I'm wondering if it could be the 39, 38, 42? I do hope it's not North Sunderland though, it goes without saying that constant Changes are becoming boring in these areas and X36, 29 seem to running with the best passenger numbers in some time.
I'm not saying it just to defend the company... They want customers' views, which is why the consultation is being held in the first place, and this is a fact. They've gone to the cost of printing posters and pinning them up on Deptford-based buses, they've advertised the consultation on the website and they've advertised the consultation on their Social Media pages. This is a company screaming to attract attention, to get their customers opinions. So yes, I say this very confidently, 100%.
If the company were to stand in Park Lane day-by-day, then the chances are they'd get the same results. The majority of people follow the same routine each weekday due to work or educational commitments. Granted, people with varying shifts do not follow the same routine, but I'd suggest that these people are in the minority... The majority of people who are unemployed (either because they can't find a job, are unable to work, or have retired) have the freedom to go out when they please can attend if they wish; they should be aware of the consultation taking place, due to it being heavily advertised.
If the company was going to get the same results from holding the consultation on one day as they would holding it on three, why bother? It's a waste of time, money and resources.
Service changes aren't designed to spice things up when things are looking dull. They're not to entertain, so how could they be classed as 'boring'? They're there to meet the changing needs of customers, to work from service suggestions sent to the company, or to make the network more profitable as it has become (or is becoming) unsustainable.