(08 Jan 2025, 2:15 pm)Rob44 wrote 3.80 still cheaper than 5 quid!.

Exactly! That 1.20 will go a long way if you're getting leathered in town! 

(08 Jan 2025, 4:23 pm)Adrian wrote Exactly! That 1.20 will go a long way if you're getting leathered in town! 

I wouldnt go that far..... but it looks like im moving anyway so no more getting extorted by GNE!

(08 Jan 2025, 5:12 pm)Rob44 wrote I wouldnt go that far..... but it looks like im moving anyway so no more getting extorted by GNE!

Back with the croc? Or somewhere else in the region?

(08 Jan 2025, 6:11 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Back with the croc? Or somewhere else in the region?

Not decided yet. Had a couple of offers but dont want to be miles away from work.  A direct bus that was regular and reliable would probably sway me but in the end i think i'll be going back to the car

Want to hang around a bus stop with your loved one?

Treat her to the smell of damp condensation and vapes?

Then GNE have the offer for you.

This Valentine's Day, we're offering 50% off an All Zones DUO ticket! ?

For the bargain price of £6.50, you and your loved one get unlimited travel across the North East.

To get this sweet deal, just enter 'LOVE50' at checkout using our Go North East app!

? Haven't got our app? Click below to download it.

This offer is valid on 14.02.2025 only.

(12 Feb 2025, 11:52 am)Ambassador wrote Want to hang around a bus stop with your loved one?

Treat her to the smell of damp condensation and vapes?

Then GNE have the offer for you.

This Valentine's Day, we're offering 50% off an All Zones DUO ticket! ?

For the bargain price of £6.50, you and your loved one get unlimited travel across the North East.

To get this sweet deal, just enter 'LOVE50' at checkout using our Go North East app!

? Haven't got our app? Click below to download it.

This offer is valid on 14.02.2025 only.

You'd have to have a severe dislike for your partner to subject her to that.

Shall we get a taxi? Nah, let's get the bus for £6.50. One may turn up eventually, and I'm sure you don't mind sitting in that restaurant after a downpour and having had the cold hit you.

It's almost as if there's a complete disconnect between Commercial, Marketing and Operations. Whilst I'm sure it'd be a great and well-received offer normally, it's completely nonsensical to do it when they've an inability to get buses on the road. 

They'd be better off investing time in communicating to customers suffering through this madness, and looking at some kind of initiative to regain the trust of their (former) customers.

Must say I thought this was a joke at first, not sure why any couple would want to use a bus. It's completely out of touch.

It's crazy how much hate bus companies have for commuters lately as they're ignored at pretty much every piece of marketing in recent times. I know they'll say the old, 'people work from home now'. Yes that's right, some days of the week. For someone who works 3 days a week, every week, on the same days, bus travel is extremely expensive nowdays and it's a completely missed market if you ask me.

Is it April Fools Day?! This is embarrassing!

(12 Feb 2025, 1:23 pm)Storx wrote Must say I thought this was a joke at first, not sure why any couple would want to use a bus. It's completely out of touch.

It's crazy how much hate bus companies have for commuters lately as they're ignored at pretty much every piece of marketing in recent times. I know they'll say the old, 'people work from home now'. Yes that's right, some days of the week. For someone who works 3 days a week, every week, on the same days, bus travel is extremely expensive nowdays and it's a completely missed market if you ask me.

A flexi-5 style 'hybrid worker' ticket would be a real winner.

Most people are in the office 2/3 days a week at a push and a competitively priced ticket would make you consider car vs public transport.

For a average call centre salary on Cobalt you're looking circa £22-25k. £18 a week, £72 a month - we should be making it easier from a cost of living pov for working people and encourage the modal switch

It does feel something more NECA should look at vs GNE individually though from an intermodal pov.

(13 Feb 2025, 11:55 am)Ambassador wrote A flexi-5 style 'hybrid worker' ticket would be a real winner.

Most people are in the office 2/3 days a week at a push and a competitively priced ticket would make you consider car vs public transport.

For a average call centre salary on Cobalt you're looking circa £22-25k. £18 a week, £72 a month - we should be making it easier from a cost of living pov for working people and encourage the modal switch

It does feel something more NECA should look at vs GNE individually though from an intermodal pov.

Aye agreed to be honest, just seems an easy one to try and support people who need to use public transport fewer days a week.

Network One in general needs sorting out though, the fares are ridiculous nowadays especially when the day rovers work out cheaper for 5 days. Personally I wish we were subsidising cheaper fares there rather than singles / day tickets. It's the wrong tickets imo since someone with a weekly ticket is more likely to jump on the weekend or whatever.

After reading this article, I'm now reminded that Go North East must be the only big operating company not owned by Stagecoach which does not have Tap on Tap off ticketing on all its services.

Pretty poor when you consider you don't even need a second reader for it to work.

https://cbwmagazine.com/transdev-rolls-o...nd-tk300s/

(29 Sep 2025, 8:13 am)DeltaMan wrote After reading this article, I'm now reminded that Go North East must be the only big operating company not owned by Stagecoach which does not have Tap on Tap off ticketing on all its services.

Pretty poor when you consider you don't even need a second reader for it to work.

https://cbwmagazine.com/transdev-rolls-o...nd-tk300s/

It's mental. I've had a few friends visit from elsewhere in the country this year, and every single one of them have said "so I just tap on right?" when getting on a bus to town - only once have I been able to say yes, when using an ANE service. It's crazy how far behind every other large operator Stagecoach and GNE are in this regard. 

For punctuality alone it should surely be top of their priority list. I got an Arriva service straight home from the midweek night match last week, and I spent significantly less time in the queue while boarding that than I usually do in the queue at Eldon Square for my Stagecoach bus home from work. The Arriva driver was instructing everyone to tap on/off (but most seemed to know the score by now), versus the process of issuing everyone with a ticket to their various stops on Stagecoach.

(29 Sep 2025, 5:14 pm)PH - BQA wrote It's mental. I've had a few friends visit from elsewhere in the country this year, and every single one of them have said "so I just tap on right?" when getting on a bus to town - only once have I been able to say yes, when using an ANE service. It's crazy how far behind every other large operator Stagecoach and GNE are in this regard. 

For punctuality alone it should surely be top of their priority list. I got an Arriva service straight home from the midweek night match last week, and I spent significantly less time in the queue while boarding that than I usually do in the queue at Eldon Square for my Stagecoach bus home from work. The Arriva driver was instructing everyone to tap on/off (but most seemed to know the score by now), versus the process of issuing everyone with a ticket to their various stops on Stagecoach.

I can understand Stagecoach, but there is no excuse for GNE. Even Konectbus had a version of Tap on tap off with Google Transit Cards. 

GNE, bottom of the pile

Am I the only one who hates tap on tap off, then? It means I end up having to fish my card out twice. A right pain when I’ve got stuff to carry and I’m trying not to drop stuff.

(29 Sep 2025, 6:51 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Am I the only one who hates tap on tap off, then? It means I end up having to fish my card out twice. A right pain when I’ve got stuff to carry and I’m trying not to drop stuff.

Saves me money so I'm really happy with it.

Can anyone answer me this. As an operator which is better a bus carrying 5 passengers at £5 a head or a bus carrying 50 at £1 a head. seems oblivious but is it really?

(8 hours ago)Rob44 wrote Can anyone answer me this. As an operator which is better a bus carrying 5 passengers at £5 a head or a bus carrying 50 at £1 a head.  seems oblivious but is it really?

As the old saying goes "an empty bus is a happy bus", so I'd say you get as close to empty as you can whilst maximising the most profit. 

Doesn't necessarily make the most economic sense, but hey, at least there's a valid reason to cut back on the service carrying 5 people than there is for 50. Reducing overheads and expenditure is the current managerial practice to increase profit.

(8 hours ago)Rob44 wrote Can anyone answer me this. As an operator which is better a bus carrying 5 passengers at £5 a head or a bus carrying 50 at £1 a head.  seems oblivious but is it really?

I assume there's a maths error here as the 50 people is an extra £25 and was supposed to be 10 for £5 or 50 for £1?

More money is always better. 

10 for £5 over 50 for £1 though imo. It's easier to drop the price than increase the price if you wanted to try and grow the routes. It's very likely you'll have 50 passengers if you dropped the price, it's very unlikely you'll have the 10 if you increase it as people will be pissed off.

(7 hours ago)Storx wrote I assume there's a maths error here as the 50 people is an extra £25 and was supposed to be 10 for £5 or 50 for £1?

More money is always better. 

10 for £5 over 50 for £1 though imo. It's easier to drop the price than increase the price if you wanted to try and grow the routes. It's very likely you'll have 50 passengers if you dropped the price, it's very unlikely you'll have the 10 if you increase it as people will be pissed off.

Yes the bigger load gets double to money.  But i was thinking........

How much longer would it take to get 50 people on the bus rather than just the 5 would this result in a 30 minute jorney taking 40, 45 or even more minute leading to add to the PVR?

How much extra fuel is used carrying the extra load

Would people still use it if instead of having a seat to themselves they had someone sitting next to them or even having to stand for the journey

(8 hours ago)Rob44 wrote Can anyone answer me this. As an operator which is better a bus carrying 5 passengers at £5 a head or a bus carrying 50 at £1 a head.  seems oblivious but is it really?

Simple economics. 

Lowering price, can increase demand. 
There are many examples of it working. 

However, you can have the cheapest product on the market. But if it doesn't work and doesn't do what customers want. Then that product isn't going to sell.

If you've got a product which has an audience who can't or won't look at an alternative, they will pay whatever is required of them. Regardless of how poor it actually is.