(10 Aug 2013, 3:32 pm)gtomlinson wrote(10 Aug 2013, 10:53 am)GuyParkRoyal wrote More service reductions and GNE have the cheek to say (on simplygo.com) that changes to the 21 are “minor changes”.
GNE seem to be coming up with so called minor changes every couple of months which are really reductions in early morning, evening and weekend services. I was against quality contracts but this sort of behaviour from GNE has convinced me that quality contracts are needed to stop this erosion of services. No doubt the other GNE services that are included in the list of minor changes will see a reduction in the number of runs. My interpretation of minor changes is timing changes to improve performance measures or inter-workings.
The withdrawal of the early 21 from Durham should be seen by Arriva as an opportunity to continue to build business on the X2 by introducing an earlier first run from Durham to Newcastle. GNE have timed this very badly just when Arriva have brought in weekly tickets on the X2 offering a saving of 10% compared to the Angel Saver.
I agree, I'm not massively in favour of QC purely on the reliability of Nexus but dismissing the changes as 'e are making some changes to the times of a small number of journeys on services in County Durham and North Tyneside to improve reliability or which few passengers use'
You can guarantee if they'd added a 5.45 journey they'd trumpeting it to the high heaven.
Staying with service changes, when the 24 was altered and finished in Gateshead, the Facebook wall was full of posts from Harlow Green and parts of Wrekenton and Low Fell complaining about the change for a good week. Then it changed to the reliability of the 24 (of which the number 1 will surely be worse?!)
Then shock horror, GNE find people actually wanted the service to Newcastle! They had to see this coming? It's almost like route changes are done in the most cynical way to see what they can get away with before triumphantly telling us 'we listened to 8,000'
Well, you didn't. If you'd listened to 8,000 then you'd never have made the changes to Angel 24 in the first place!
ps 4865 is quite frankly the most uncomfortable, dirty, rattling piece of junk I've ever had the pleasure of riding
That’s a very accurate description of 4865 I could not have put it better myself. If you are unfortunate enough to get a seat near the back it is horrible with the smell of fumes from the engine bay and knocking from the rear suspension. 4865 appeared to be having a bad day yesterday as I noticed a lot of black smoke when it passed me which is out of character. With the recent fine weather I have walked rather than use 4865 (or 4862).
The strange thing is I have just started you use the Arriva X2 and when the odd S registration DAF turned up I thought of GNE 4865 how wrong I was the Arriva buses appear to be far better than the GNE offering of the same vintage.