Constant investment? 2003 saw a good number of MANs. Then there were 13 in 2005, 6 partially government funded in 2006, some E400s in 2006 that were sent to Preston less than a year later so don't really count. The years between 2007 and 2010 saw significant investment. 2011 intake was significantly government funded (the scheme was more generous then). And nothing since. Slatyford had 3 of it's E400s siphoned off to Shields and has received plenty of it's own cast offs back again when other depots saw upgrades. And hasn't had a new bus since 2009. Walkergate had to fight tooth and nail to keep the 2005 MANs which were originally intended for cascade elsewhere.

I'm not suggesting Teesside shouldn't get upgrades. But I would suggest that a company withholding investment from it's most profitable depots due to QCS wouldn't go to the significant bother of massively upgrading a depot down the road. Irrespective of government support, installing gas facilities and buying gas buses is a massive outlay. And as I have said, Sunderland is subject to QCS just as Newcastle is.

And it makes perfect sense to purchase new vehicles regularly for your profitable depots. It happens elsewhere in the company every year. Also, whatever the chairman of the group might say, Stagecoach will bid for services when QCS is intoduced. They will make more money from operating under a contract system than by pulling out altogether. Successful businesses are always pragmatic when push comes to shove. They get one year to ensure all buses are Euro 5 or higher. Playing a very stupid game by giving themselves over 150 buses to purchase in that year ?