(29 Dec 2014, 11:42 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote What vehicle types do you folk think GNE will go with? I think they could go for the following:
I personally think Optare Versa, Optare Metrodecker, Mercedes Citaro and if needed, Scania E400 MMC but I can't see the latter of the 4 happening until at least 2016 / 2017.
Surely this depends on the services that will receive investment?
Although Andreos1's chain of newsagents has seamlessly replaced its cheaper less popular lightweight bags with more expensive heavyweight bags recently, Go North East would find it difficult to justify capital expenditure into such expensive vehicles on a service like the X66 when:
a) no passenger growth is expected with the investment into the service and the only increased profit levels will come from reduced running costs
b) the service does not have a particularly demanding nature
Full size single deckers will be chosen, and these full size single deckers will either be Optare Versas or Wright Streetlites (the latter of which has by far the best fuel economy - so I know what I'd put my money on). These buses will have the exact same expected lifespan as a Mercedes Citaro would (15 years), meaning that it's easier for Go North East to justify the capital expenditure for these buses.