(17 Oct 2022, 7:41 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Probably an attempt to maximise revenue from that scheme but, like many decisions over the last year or two, seems to be designed to be self-harming in the long term.  Hike fares by more inflation, piss off all of your customers (who end up ditching the bus, or grudgingly pay the higher far, bad mouth the company and meanwhile aspire to ditch the bus), then a couple of months later, fares drop again thanks to the price cap - but by this time passenger numbers are far lower as those who can, have given up on GNE.  For the sake of 2 months, it seems a pyschotic move from GNE towers...

And lack of notice is inexcusable.  If their financial woes are so great they need to hike prices this much, they must have been aware of this coming down the line with more than 7 days notice.

I'm sure it's been asked before but are the fares on secured services set by Nexus/the LA or GNE?

I would love to see GNE Management take questions from people on FB lives like they used too

GNE pick fares.

I hope somebody has thought about an interupting NSA message about the fare changes. That is a quick way to get the message out there to existing users.

They shouldn't need to pay Emma Hignett for the privilege either...

Reduce frequencies and hike fares. More bums on seats. Buses look and feel busier, the facade is maintained. Sound logic.

I honestly think they’ll collapse or be bought out,

I’m seeing absolutely no signs of there being anyone at GNE being able to turn it around, we’re seeing the same old mistakes, stuck in their rut decisions and bizarre trumpeting of marketing awards. It’s like it’s full of social media PR wizards who think they work for Greggs or innocent as opposed to business or at least transport focused management and those that are there, are the…well it worked for wear buses in 1995

You wonder how long the new paymasters patience will last….hopefully longer than their passengers

(17 Oct 2022, 7:18 pm)Adrian wrote They seem to have more excuses than Steve Bruce.

When they've had 1000 bus routes, you would think they would know what they were doing.

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(17 Oct 2022, 9:19 pm)Ambassador wrote I honestly think they’ll collapse or be bought out,

I’m seeing absolutely no signs of there being anyone at GNE being able to turn it around, we’re seeing the same old mistakes, stuck in their rut decisions and bizarre trumpeting of marketing awards.  It’s like it’s full of social media PR wizards who think they work for Greggs or innocent as opposed to business or at least transport focused management and those that are there, are the…well it worked for wear buses in 1995

You wonder how long the new paymasters patience will last….hopefully longer than their passengers

Apart from any glimmer of hope in the aftermath of the MG appointment, have you genuinely seen anything which would point towards positivity?


Im often accused of being a cynic on here, but I'm genuinely amazed it has taken people this long to see beyond that fur coat they keep teasing us with. There's a little bit of ankle now and again, but ultimately once that fur coat is taken off - it is disappointment all over again.

Maybe it was young naivety, but I can't remember seeing anything but the same old since a glimmer of excitement post early 90s strike action and a load of repaints.
Repeat ad-infinitum (replace strike action with strike threats) for the next 30 years.
But continue with the never ending paint jobs.

(17 Oct 2022, 9:49 pm)Andreos1 wrote But continue with the never ending paint jobs.

It seems they've stopped. 

I've also seen no paper timetables either for ages.

Turn-around jobs are usually 18 months to 2 years. Not 6 weeks

(17 Oct 2022, 10:03 pm)DeltaMan wrote Turn-around jobs are usually 18 months to 2 years. Not 6 weeks

We've all been waiting the best part of 30 years for the 'turn-around job' to kick in.
What went wrong?

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(17 Oct 2022, 9:58 pm)Unber43 wrote It seems they've stopped. 

I've also seen no paper timetables either for ages.

I'd heard rumours they failed to pay the paint bills.
Stack of invoices sitting unpaid and paint suppliers kicking off.

Dunno how true it is though.

(17 Oct 2022, 10:07 pm)Andreos1 wrote We've all been waiting the best part of 30 years for the 'turn-around job' to kick in.
What went wrong?

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I'd heard rumours they failed to pay the paint bills.
Stack of invoices sitting unpaid and paint suppliers kicking off.

Dunno how true it is though.

Companies House says otherwise

(17 Oct 2022, 10:07 pm)Andreos1 wrote I'd heard rumours they failed to pay the paint bills.
Stack of invoices sitting unpaid and paint suppliers kicking off.

Dunno how true it is though.

Jesus, GNE are turning into BHS. 

The 20 was next, however last time I checked the buses the old liveried timetables were back, the old ones no were to be seen. Wonder if they can't afford the ink!

What part of GNE is actually bleeding money....

(17 Oct 2022, 9:19 pm)Ambassador wrote I honestly think they’ll collapse or be bought out,

I’m seeing absolutely no signs of there being anyone at GNE being able to turn it around, we’re seeing the same old mistakes, stuck in their rut decisions and bizarre trumpeting of marketing awards. It’s like it’s full of social media PR wizards who think they work for Greggs or innocent as opposed to business or at least transport focused management and those that are there, are the…well it worked for wear buses in 1995

You wonder how long the new paymasters patience will last….hopefully longer than their passengers

I noticed these the other day (when we were being spammed by the Rees Mogg fanboy) - this one seemed particularly ironic, given they were quite happy to leave communities cut off not too long ago:
https://twitter.com/UKBusAwards/status/1...9116369921

This one less so, as the culture certainly seems to have taken a nosedive in recent years:
https://twitter.com/UKBusAwards/status/1...9116369921

I know a lot of you are moaning about the prices going up but imo the biggest cock up was reducing the prices in the first place. It was a sign of desperation in a bad time which has totally backfired in the long term. It's very easy to drop prices but to then put them back up isn't so easy so it's not surprise there's been 3 rises recently.

The price decrease done nothing and Arriva and Stagecoach's numbers are back upto a similar level including in evenings, the catch 22 is they still have the full revenue they had before Covid.

Price cuts aren't the answers to getting people on buses as Andreos always says, it's the fact buses don't go to where people want that's the problem. It's no surprise really the long routes, which has the biggest reduction which are getting wiped out quickly are the ones being cut. I wonder if some routes would be still more frequent ie. the X45/X46 if passengers were still paying more or the Sunderland local buses.

(18 Oct 2022, 6:57 am)Storx wrote I know a lot of you are moaning about the prices going up but imo the biggest cock up was reducing the prices in the first place. It was a sign of desperation in a bad time which has totally backfired in the long term. It's very easy to drop prices but to then put them back up isn't so easy so it's not surprise there's been 3 rises recently.

I wonder what the business plan and forecasting was for that. I'm assuming they'd have one, or why would you dive head first into the risk? I don't think the price reductions were a bad thing, but that's with the knowledge I'll never see the forecasting for it.

There's a bigger question for me in that if you've failed to grow the business with cheap fares, what hope do you have with skyrocketing fares? The problem with everything they're doing now, is that they're going for the easy options and attacking the customers they already have - or at least have for now, but maybe not for much longer...

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

(18 Oct 2022, 7:19 am)Adrian wrote I wonder what the business plan and forecasting was for that. I'm assuming they'd have one, or why would you dive head first into the risk? I don't think the price reductions were a bad thing, but that's with the knowledge I'll never see the forecasting for it.

There's a bigger question for me in that if you've failed to grow the business with cheap fares, what hope do you have with skyrocketing fares? The problem with everything they're doing now, is that they're going for the easy options and attacking the customers they already have - or at least have for now, but maybe not for much longer...

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

See personally I always thought it was a bit of an odd move. The company barely made profits before Covid so if you're going to decrease your revenue then it would suggest you expect the numbers to go way beyond the numbers before Covid which even the more optimistic person could never see.

Otherwise your going to have make cuts somewhere which has now happened which would counteract against the price cuts in the first place. Personally I'd rather have a 30 minute service paying £1.50 more than an hourly service but maybe that's just me which has been the case for some routes ie. Burnopfield to Gateshead or the unique sections of Stanley to Newcastle.

I'm not aware of any other companies which took the same approach (excluding government/mayor/council schemes) and I'm not really surprised either as it's a massive gamble. A bit like reducing taxes and hoping for growth which backfired.

Personally I'd hate to be the MD of GNE as it's in a bit of a rut now, you've cut everything to the extreme, the ticket prices are arguably too cheap, there's still driver shortages and you're still not making money. It's a bit of a grim place.

(18 Oct 2022, 6:57 am)Storx wrote I know a lot of you are moaning about the prices going up but imo the biggest cock up was reducing the prices in the first place. It was a sign of desperation in a bad time which has totally backfired in the long term. It's very easy to drop prices but to then put them back up isn't so easy so it's not surprise there's been 3 rises recently.

The price decrease done nothing and Arriva and Stagecoach's numbers are back upto a similar level including in evenings, the catch 22 is they still have the full revenue they had before Covid.

Price cuts aren't the answers to getting people on buses as Andreos always says, it's the fact buses don't go to where people want that's the problem. It's no surprise really the long routes, which has the biggest reduction which are getting wiped out quickly are the ones being cut. I wonder if some routes would be still more frequent ie. the X45/X46 if passengers were still paying more or the Sunderland local buses.

Whilst I think buses going to the places people need to be, is a huge factor. It is only part of the issue.

Prices are one.
Timetabling another.
Whack in a decent standard of customer service and reliable buses, that rock up when they're supposed to and they're on to a winner.

These are all internal factors, well within any organisations control.

A piecemeal approach or one that doesn't look at the bigger picture will never work. 
The fare offers were good in the way that it can help attract those flexible/elastic customers.
But if it doesn't and you're left with the same old inelastic customers along with poor customer service, routes that go where the operator wants you to go, a hub & spoke model that has awful connections and a service which is pretty shite (when it does turn up), well then they're probably going to be well out of pocket.

Raising fares and not looking at any of the other internal factors is like blowing your left foot off with a shotgun, when the right foot is still in plaster from the last round of half-arsed decision making.

I'm wondering if the fare increase was a demand from the new owners.

I think there will be another price increase within 6 months. 

Its clear GNE is bleeding money, however where are they bleeding money from.

I can certainly tell you that GNE are losing money operating Euro 5 Buses on the 28/28B/29 meanwhile there is brand new streetdecks are on 34 & school buses.

The farce on that you have on the 56, 4 single deckers on, there was a bloody Graphite on no wonder passenger numbers are fallen when you're rammed onto a single decker on the X1/56 or a Solo on 61/60.

Its an absoulte disaster.

(18 Oct 2022, 3:17 pm)Unber43 wrote I think there will be another price increase within 6 months. 

Its clear GNE is bleeding money, however where are they bleeding money from.

I can certainly tell you that GNE are losing money operating Euro 5 Buses on the 28/28B/29 meanwhile there is brand new streetdecks are on 34 & school buses.

The farce on that you have on the 56, 4 single deckers on, there was a bloody Graphite on no wonder passenger numbers are fallen when you're rammed onto a single decker on the X1/56 or a Solo on 61/60.

Its an absoulte disaster.

Is the 28/28B/29 contract actually Euro 6. It's been setup by County Durham and as far as I'm away they don't specify Euro ratings.

(18 Oct 2022, 3:57 pm)Storx wrote Is the 28/28B/29 contract actually Euro 6. It's been setup by County Durham and as far as I'm away they don't specify Euro ratings.

Even if it's not, it will need to be, at some point.

(18 Oct 2022, 3:57 pm)Storx wrote Is the 28/28B/29 contract actually Euro 6. It's been setup by County Durham and as far as I'm away they don't specify Euro ratings.

I believe so.

Feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

I wonder if the increase in fares has anything to do with the maximum £2 fare from 1 January 2023 to March 2023, maybe this is done now because it could be within the qualifying period for reclaiming the lost revenue for the period the country wide offer is in place, meaning they can reclaim more revenue than it would be without the rise

Is the £2 fare cap actually going ahead though? There seems to be more pressing matters currently vying for government money

(18 Oct 2022, 10:06 pm)Bazza wrote Is the £2 fare cap actually going ahead though?    There seems to be more pressing matters currently vying for government money

I think we will see some more cuts to buses. 

BSIP will probably go.

I’d say the £2 cap is at risk, they’ve promised no spending cuts directly on public services but this money

A - hasn’t been spent yet so is an easy win
B - isn’t a Truss policy
C - isn’t a big vote winner

Everyone else who jumped aboard the metro mayor and city region mayor boat is freezing fares with money in their pockets. Yet again we lose out because of Sunderland, Gateshead and South Tynesides inferiority complex towards Newcastle.

Damage is done for gne now. They’ve proved to be by far the worst of the big operators up here and I look at how openly and regularly Stagecoach and arriva were mocked….who’s laughing now?

(17 Oct 2022, 4:44 pm)northern156 wrote Knocking comments off from the get-go isn't right. LNER seem to do it an awful lot when not delivering good news - at least have the illusion of people being able to voice their opinion instead of point-blank ignoring everything.

Thing is though those who work the Social Platforms of Facebook/Twitter and updating the LNER Website are literally there to post those updates and that is it, it is then down to Customer Services/Assisted Travel & Web Chat to then deal with amending bookings etc when you have Service Cancellations/Strike Action that is what they are trained for so it isn't a case of point blank ignoring it we just other platforms that customers can use that are more appropriate for them to use in order to resolve any questions/issues they may have.

Our Call Centre is open from 8am to 10pm, there has been days recently where we have stayed back beyond our operational hours to ensure all customers are served, where needed and we even have staff elsewhere in the business that travel up and down the route supporting other areas, so i'd say yes while we might not be perfect and yes there are things that could still be improved no business is going to have a perfect model that makes a customer happy but we do go above and beyond when shit hits the fan unlike other companies such as Go North East who run and hide in there bunker at Bensham.

LNER social media advisors are hired with assisting customer queries in their contracts, posting updates isn't just their job.

I've just seen a video on twitter from a ITV Correspondent based in the NE and he did a story of a lady who is in her early 60s, and how energy bills affect her, in the video is shows that she gets the 310 and he bus fare is £4 for the day (and now its going up), and he can only afford to get the bus on good weeks and other times she has to walk. 

Truly Heartbreaking. 

Here is a link to the video https://twitter.com/DanielHewittITV/stat...42661?s=20&t=a3LR1v5R4NINfufknGLLyQ 

Im not saying its GNE fault, its not however increasing fares is the wrong move atm, especially when some people can only afford to get the bus sometimes.

(18 Oct 2022, 3:57 pm)Storx wrote Is the 28/28B/29 contract actually Euro 6. It's been setup by County Durham and as far as I'm away they don't specify Euro ratings.

Yes, it goes into Newcastle LEZ.

28/29 must be one of County Durham's busiest secured services - I often travel on it and there is a full load going into Gateshead.

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(18 Oct 2022, 6:57 am)Storx wrote I know a lot of you are moaning about the prices going up but imo the biggest cock up was reducing the prices in the first place. It was a sign of desperation in a bad time which has totally backfired in the long term. It's very easy to drop prices but to then put them back up isn't so easy so it's not surprise there's been 3 rises recently.

The price decrease done nothing and Arriva and Stagecoach's numbers are back upto a similar level including in evenings, the catch 22 is they still have the full revenue they had before Covid.

Price cuts aren't the answers to getting people on buses as Andreos always says, it's the fact buses don't go to where people want that's the problem. It's no surprise really the long routes, which has the biggest reduction which are getting wiped out quickly are the ones being cut. I wonder if some routes would be still more frequent ie. the X45/X46 if passengers were still paying more or the Sunderland local buses.

The price cuts (fare reductions) depended on passengers numbers more than doubling, which was never going to happen.

(20 Oct 2022, 5:44 am)busmanT wrote Yes, it goes into Newcastle LEZ.

28/29 must be one of County Durham's busiest secured services - I often travel on it and there is a full load going into Gateshead.

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The price cuts (fare reductions) depended on passengers numbers more than doubling, which was never going to happen.

If it's that busy, why is it supported?

There are commercial services that don't get anywhere near a full load

(20 Oct 2022, 5:44 am)busmanT wrote Yes, it goes into Newcastle LEZ.

28/29 must be one of County Durham's busiest secured services - I often travel on it and there is a full load going into Gateshead.

Yeah I know that it was more in the sense is their a contract term it must be Euro 6. Seen a few times people saying they'll be getting fined now. I don't know. 

Obviously when the CAZ starts they'll have to use Euro 6 vehicles.