(23 Oct 2022, 9:50 am)RMF1254 wrote It seems like the agenda on here is against anybody who is of a certain age or has a disability. I got my CT pass only after providing ID, a photo and proof of address. I wouldn’t say it was free either, after paying NI and taxes for all of my working life of almost 40 years. I certainly wouldn’t get out and about on the bus as much if I didn’t have the bus pass.

I have nothing against people of age, I just don't think think people should be entitled to a free bus pass based on their age. It should be means tested like other benefits, which is essentially what it is.

If you can afford to pay for the bus, then you should pay

(23 Oct 2022, 11:28 am)Adrian wrote This is nonsense. If anything, the 'means testing' the Government use is inappropriate and degrading to people. It's also extremely lazy to point the finger at those in receipt of benefits, including disabled persons bus passes, rather than looking at the wider issue - funding of bus services as a whole. 


Totally agree. It's Daily Mail-level nonsense of always needing someone to blame for fare rises, service cuts or whatever else. I wonder what's next. Blame OAPs for rising energy bills, because they get a winter fuel payment? 

The real issue here, as in most instances, is a lack of Government funding.

If anything, I think it should be opened up to more people, not just people with disabilities or people who happen to reach an arbitrary age!

(23 Oct 2022, 11:29 am)streetdeckfan wrote I have nothing against people of age, I just don't think think people should be entitled to a free bus pass based on their age. It should be means tested like other benefits, which is essentially what it is.

If you can afford to pay for the bus, then you should pay

Don't worry. I doubt the scheme will still be around when you retire. I can't see it still existing in its current form when I reach pension age in *mumble* years. 

Though if concessionary bus passes were to be means tested, maybe discounted travel for young adults should be, too. That must cost bus companies a fortune.

(23 Oct 2022, 11:49 am)BusLoverMum wrote Don't worry. I doubt the scheme will still be around when you retire. I can't see it still existing in its current form when I reach pension age in *mumble* years. 

Though if concessionary bus passes were to be means tested, maybe discounted travel for young adults should be, too. That must cost bus companies a fortune.

Perhaps it should be, but as it stands those discounts aren't provided through any form of government funding (as far as I'm aware, outside of Nexus tickets at least), so are obviously a commercial decision by the operators to try and attract people who would get a car instead.

I was perfectly happy paying the full adult fare pre-COVID when I was doing a lot more travelling just for the convenience of using a Key card, despite it being I think around £40 a month cheaper through the app for the cheaper young persons ticket (I think the 5-25 was already around then, wasn't it?)

Used a Go North East service and the price was still the same today.

Has the ticketer outage meant the machines haven’t been updated? Or have single fares on the 309 not increased?

I know we all get old but I've seen loads of people moan about oaps... so I agree with some I dont people who work who only get 30 minute break having to queue behind oaps in post office launch etc. Oaps trying there luck to get on buses before 930. I even so someone get the 820 bus with there pass as the has a card with hospital appointment on... but got off at low fell.with me and went to do shopping in co op.

Its bit like blue badges for me. My mum couldnt walk. Drove around disabled spaces and none. Then you get people come out who look fit as a fiddle and jumping in these sports cars pulling out of diable bays. I know all disabilities arnt viable but where do you draw the line??

I don't think drivers are aware of what the £1.20/£1.30 Now £1.40 is just for Under 19s I don't think passengers realise it either. As people who get on buses and ask for it look about 23/24 Now I am not saying they're but I think many drivers are giving under 19 singles to people over it as they think its between the age of 5-25 which I did think it was too till a while ago.

(23 Oct 2022, 12:32 pm)Thomas12 wrote Used a Go North East service and the price was still the same today.

Has the ticketer outage meant the machines haven’t been updated? Or have single fares on the 309 not increased?

I would have thought that with the outage the ticket machines could not have been updated as they communicate OTA.

(23 Oct 2022, 12:33 pm)Rob44 wrote I know we all get old but I've seen loads of people moan about oaps... so I agree with some I dont  people who work who only get 30 minute break having to queue behind oaps in post office launch etc. Oaps trying there luck to get on buses before 930. I even so someone get the 820 bus with there pass as the has a card with  hospital appointment on... but got off at low fell.with me and went to do shopping in co op.

Its  bit like blue badges for me. My mum couldnt walk. Drove around disabled spaces and none. Then you get people come out who look fit as a fiddle and jumping in these sports cars pulling out of diable bays. I know all disabilities arnt viable but where do you draw the line??

Blue badges are the same as bus passes, some places seem to hand them out to any bugger, but other places people with a real need for them need to fight for them. My brother's friend has a blue badge, and I know I'll probably get flack for saying this, but she does not need it. Yet my late grandmother, who physically couldn't walk because of her illness spent months trying to get one.

My grandfather has a bus pass, yet has never used it. The only time he gets the bus is when he goes to the eye hospital as he can't drive back, and although he could show his appointment to the driver and get on for free, he'd rather just pay for the ticket because he can pay for it.

(23 Oct 2022, 12:33 pm)Rob44 wrote I know we all get old but I've seen loads of people moan about oaps... so I agree with some I dont  people who work who only get 30 minute break having to queue behind oaps in post office launch etc. Oaps trying there luck to get on buses before 930. I even so someone get the 820 bus with there pass as the has a card with  hospital appointment on... but got off at low fell.with me and went to do shopping in co op.

Its  bit like blue badges for me. My mum couldnt walk. Drove around disabled spaces and none. Then you get people come out who look fit as a fiddle and jumping in these sports cars pulling out of diable bays. I know all disabilities arnt viable but where do you draw the line??

This is nonsense though, and again is akin to the comments section on the Daily Mail. There's a strict criteria for Blue Badges, which can be found on the Government website here. What they can't control though, is people other than who the badge is issued to, deciding to use it when they're not with the badge holder. That is like anything else though, such as able-bodied entitled motorists deciding to use disabled or parent & child bays. 

Regarding the Post Office queue, I'm not sure how it's the fault of OAPs that your employer won't offer you any flexibility to go to the post office, or indeed that the post office don't have sufficient staff to meet a lunchtime demand? Would you blame other businesses for having too much staff, because the queue at the sandwich shop is too long?

Personally if we're talking pricing I'd rather it was done by distance with each bus stop price accordingly something on these fares rounded to nearest 10p:

Children: 40p + 10p per mile, capped at £2.50
19 - 25 Fares: 60p + 15p per mile, capped at £3.50
Adult: 80p + 20p per mile, capped at £5.00
Pensioner: 50p per trip

Just to pick some typical fares:

Sunderland to Durham, 14 Mile - Child: £1.80, 19 - 25: £2.70, Adult: £3.60
Newcastle to Whitley Bay, 10 Mile - Child: £1.40, 19 - 25: £2.10, Adult: £2.80
Newcastle to Low Fell, 4 Mile - Child: 80p, 19 - 25: £1.20, Adult: £1.60
Newcastle to Durham, 17 Mile - Child: £2.10, 19 - 25: £3.00, Adult: £4.20
Newcastle to Washington, 8 Mile - Child £1.20, 19 - 25: £1.80, Adult: £2.40

They're all fair fares to me rather than mess that is now.

(23 Oct 2022, 12:32 pm)Thomas12 wrote Used a Go North East service and the price was still the same today.

Has the ticketer outage meant the machines haven’t been updated? Or have single fares on the 309 not increased?

It's also possible they won't increase fares on routes that have competition

(23 Oct 2022, 2:13 pm)streetdeckfan wrote It's also possible they won't increase fares on routes that have competition

How does Arriva price fares on the Coast Road routes? 

Does anyone know?

(23 Oct 2022, 2:16 pm)Unber43 wrote How does Arriva price fares on the Coast Road routes? 

Does anyone know?

There isn't much in it for single fares (apart from for longer journeys like Whitley Bay/Blyth to Newcastle), where GNE are cheaper), so I usually just get the first bus that comes. 

Arriva are cheaper for day/week tickets. £3.90/£13.50 on Arriva for the 306/308, compared to £4.50/£17 on the 309/310/311.

(23 Oct 2022, 2:16 pm)Unber43 wrote How does Arriva price fares on the Coast Road routes? 

Does anyone know?

https://bustimes.org/fares/tariffs/2057843

I wonder when GNE's fare changes will show up on Bus Times, I presume it's pulled automatically from the open data?

I wish Bus Times would go back to the old feed they use to use with GNE, seeing buses running dead was so much better so you actually knew where they are.

(23 Oct 2022, 2:45 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I wonder when GNE's fare changes will show up on Bus Times, I presume it's pulled automatically from the open data?

Yeah pulled from - https://data.bus-data.dft.gov.uk/fares/dataset/6361/

It hasn't been updated yet though, assume because of the Ticketer issues.

(23 Oct 2022, 2:45 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I wonder when GNE's fare changes will show up on Bus Times, I presume it's pulled automatically from the open data?

I wish they'd just put the fares on the service pages like other Go Ahead companies

(23 Oct 2022, 12:54 pm)Adrian wrote This is nonsense though, and again is akin to the comments section on the Daily Mail. There's a strict criteria for Blue Badges, which can be found on the Government website here. What they can't control though, is people other than who the badge is issued to, deciding to use it when they're not with the badge holder. That is like anything else though, such as able-bodied entitled motorists deciding to use disabled or parent & child bays. 

Regarding the Post Office queue, I'm not sure how it's the fault of OAPs that your employer won't offer you any flexibility to go to the post office, or indeed that the post office don't have sufficient staff to meet a lunchtime demand? Would you blame other businesses for having too much staff, because the queue at the sandwich shop is too long?

Not for the first time I either write what I meant wrongly or you've misunderstood what I've said. What I mean is does a family with a son with a none physical disability deserve a blue badge space outside a supermarket more that a bloke whom lost his legs in the Falklands war and uses a wheelchair?? One space who should het it. ??? I'm not saying they are easy to het it's the criteria people need to meet to get them thatnim against. Theyve allowed alot more people the choice to apply and probably get them but have you noticed and extra blue badge space where you shop work etc?? Thought not.
As for the post office that's not my option.  It's the option of people who I've spoken too and read on letters pages. We all het old so people should remeber that although I dont see why millionaires o er 65 should get free travel when someone on jobseekers suppost going to a job interview should have to pay

(23 Oct 2022, 3:10 pm)DeltaMan wrote I wish they'd just put the fares on the service pages like other Go Ahead companies

Apparently there was no facility for fares on the new platform, but they were 'working on it'.
I'm fairly sure MG said it was a priority, but obviously not!

How many millionaires are using their old age bus pass? I can't imagine the number is that high.

(23 Oct 2022, 3:57 pm)BusLoverMum wrote How many millionaires are using their old age bus pass? I can't imagine the number is that high.

I reckon you'd be surprised. I know a couple people that have a few quid in the bank, and they're tighter than the the ones on benefits!

(23 Oct 2022, 3:34 pm)Rob44 wrote Not for the first time I either write what I meant wrongly or you've misunderstood what I've said. What I mean is does a family with a son with a none physical disability deserve a blue badge space outside a supermarket more that a bloke whom lost his legs in the Falklands war and uses a wheelchair?? One space who should het it. ??? I'm not saying they are easy to het it's the criteria people need to meet to get them thatnim against. Theyve allowed alot more people the choice to apply and probably get them but have you noticed and extra blue badge space where you shop work etc?? Thought not.
As for the post office that's not my option.  It's the option of people who I've spoken too and read on letters pages. We all het old so people should remeber that although I dont see why millionaires o er 65 should get free travel when someone on jobseekers suppost going to a job interview should have to pay

Maybe both of them have an equal right to it? I'm not sure why everything has to become a race to the bottom of who is worse off. The fact is that there's many reasons why people have Bus Passes or Blue Badges, not visible to you or I, but then again it is none of our business!

(23 Oct 2022, 3:34 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Apparently there was no facility for fares on the new platform, but they were 'working on it'.
I'm fairly sure MG said it was a priority, but obviously not!

I don't think there is anything preventing them sticking a pdf there like here 

https://www.buses.co.uk/services/BH/12?date=2022-10-23&direction=inbound

And others have a proper "look up" https://www.islandbuses.info/find-my-fare

Even the ginger headed stepchild of Go Ahead, Chambers, have individual fares you can view for some routes. Unless GNE is now that child....

(23 Oct 2022, 4:40 pm)Adrian wrote Maybe both of them have an equal right to it? I'm not sure why everything has to become a race to the bottom of who is worse off. The fact is that there's many reasons why people have Bus Passes or Blue Badges, not visible to you or I, but then again it is none of our business!

Good luck fitting two cars in one space

Looking at the app, the new fares still aren't live. 

I wonder if they'll halt and recommunicate a new date now?

They are on the buses!

(24 Oct 2022, 8:20 am)Adrian wrote Looking at the app, the new fares still aren't live. 

I wonder if they'll halt and recommunicate a new date now?

This happened last time as well, I was still able to buy the tickets at the old price for a week or so after they put the prices up.

(24 Oct 2022, 9:06 am)Unber43 wrote They are on the buses!

No they aren’t. If GNE are having issues with Ticketer due to an EE network issue (also reported by Arriva on their social feeds), then the machines won’t take any updates…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Word of mouth by drivers, my driver on the 310 the other day (Thursday just gone) told me 'the fares are going up on Sunday'