(29 Dec 2014, 6:33 pm)aureolin wrote 10 min frequency to a 15 minute frequency? Yes. 10 min to 12 min? I'd argue no. The 56 is generally a couple of minutes late anyway, so there'd be no noticeable difference. I honestly think they have done it primarily to improve reliability, but maintaining margins will also come into it.
There was always going to be three options in my opinion:
Can they realistically win?
- Decrease (not 'revise') the frequency from 10 to 12 minutes, removing a bus from the PVR, but adding extra running time into the timetable.
- Leave the frequency at 10 minutes, but add an extra bus into the PVR, by still adding the extra running time into the timetable.
- Do nothing, and let people continue to complain about buses running in twos, and the company being accused "not being bothered" about it.
Agree completely.
The issue with the second option is that Go North East cannot source any further Volvo B9TLs, either. The Cobalt Clipper's PVR increased and now one of the 'red' spares' forms part of the PVR, meaning that other vehicles besides Volvo B9TLs are now more common on the services and some customers do not get the full 'Cobalt Clipper experience' (Wi-Fi, plugs, etc). The same applied to the TEN, with the difference being that Volvo B7TLs were the dedicated spares for those services opposed to Volvo B9TLs of the same specification, so on a daily basis customers don't get the full 'TEN experience'.