(28/07/2012 16:47)citaro5284 Wrote: [ -> ] (28/07/2012 16:15)Kate Wrote: [ -> ]Ex-MetroCentre branded Wright Solar 5227 (NK54 NWA) is now green - http://www.flickr.com/photos/76984289@N0...otostream/ (Photo by aroundnortheastbuses on Flickr). Along with 4932 (Y932ERG) - http://www.flickr.com/photos/27204054@N07/7661756356/ (Photo by peter_b2008 on Flickr)
Both NK12CGO & NK12CGU (unsure of fleet numbers at present) are at Saltmeadows. Driver training may have commenced/will definitely commence on Monday (X9 driver told me he has been told to go down on Monday at 11am) for the digital tacograph usage. Unsure whether they will be gradually introduced or whether all will enter at the same time (Have been told one story from Saltmeadows and another from Sunderland Road.
The plan is that they all go into service together on 11 August.
Thanks for clearing that up, Saltmeadows did say they would all enter together with a press launch like Quaylink.
NK04ZNC has lost the 'Highwayman' branding.
Also, 'Red Arrows' Citaro, NK07KPT, was on the 88's today.
(28/07/2012 16:53)tom.robinson206 Wrote: [ -> ]NK04ZNC has lost the 'Highwayman' branding.
Also, 'Red Arrows' Citaro, NK07KPT, was on the 88's today.
What is the point of branded buses when they are continually being used on other services than the brand they represent. This just creates confusion, especially visitors to our region. Are GNE overstretching themselves now?, What started out to be a good idea for a FEW SELECTED routes, has gone crazy with too many brands, poorly executed, serving little in promoting "best practice/quality and damaging the quality corporate image. Example: R reg yellow Double Decker buses being used on 44 & 43 Diamond service (Which was to become a Gold Standard service!!) - Since Peter Huntley sadly departed the managemet has become a joke - Maybe Nexus Quality contracts are the way to go. If they are handing out over £60m in monies to the local bus companies then maybe a tighter control on operations and standards would benefit customers/ local tax payers. [/i]
(28/07/2012 22:09)venturego Wrote: [ -> ] (28/07/2012 16:53)tom.robinson206 Wrote: [ -> ]NK04ZNC has lost the 'Highwayman' branding.
Also, 'Red Arrows' Citaro, NK07KPT, was on the 88's today.
What is the point of branded buses when they are continually being used on other services than the brand they represent. This just creates confusion, especially visitors to our region. Are GNE overstretching themselves now?, What started out to be a good idea for a FEW SELECTED routes, has gone crazy with too many brands, poorly executed, serving little in promoting "best practice/quality and damaging the quality corporate image. Example: R reg yellow Double Decker buses being used on 44 & 43 Diamond service (Which was to become a Gold Standard service!!) - Since Peter Huntley sadly departed the managemet has become a joke - Maybe Nexus Quality contracts are the way to go. If they are handing out over £60m in monies to the local bus companies then maybe a tighter control on operations and standards would benefit customers/ local tax payers. [/i]
I do agree with you there. I also think that the majority of the new brandings have gone downhill and don't look as good as they previously did. But grey and red 'NEXUS Buses' - no thanks!
(28/07/2012 22:09)venturego Wrote: [ -> ]What is the point of branded buses when they are continually being used on other services than the brand they represent. This just creates confusion, especially visitors to our region. Are GNE overstretching themselves now?
It is simply the case of not have enough spare buses at Washington depot specifically although it does occur across most depots occasionally. But looking at Winlaton it seems to be very very rare for incorrect branded workings. I think they are pushing to get rid of most the SPDs and "Yellow Buses" a bit too quickly, to the point where they seem to be leaving themselves with very few spare vehicles. I'm sure this will be resolved as newer buses enter service thus releasing older vehicles as spares.
(28/07/2012 22:09)venturego Wrote: [ -> ]What started out to be a good idea for a FEW SELECTED routes, has gone crazy with too many brands, poorly executed, serving little in promoting "best practice/quality and damaging the quality corporate image. Example: R reg yellow Double Decker buses being used on 44 & 43 Diamond service (Which was to become a Gold Standard service!!)
I must admit the Diamond service being operated by these deckers does baffle me as their seems to be more than enough spares at Stanley at the minute with the West Durham being operated by deckers. Surely the omnis should be used as spares. But what worries me even more is how unreliable the Mercs seem to be compared to the renowns. When it was operated by renowns it was very rare to see deckers operating, it would usually be northern/white renowns used as spares.
(28/07/2012 22:09)venturego Wrote: [ -> ]- Since Peter Huntley sadly departed the managemet has become a joke - Maybe Nexus Quality contracts are the way to go. If they are handing out over £60m in monies to the local bus companies then maybe a tighter control on operations and standards would benefit customers/ local tax payers. [/i]
I'm not entirely sure I agree with quality contracts as if you look at the majority of GNE routes they are operated without financial support. Therefore imagine if Nexus is going to pay the company to operate routes. It is ultimately going to cost the tax payer a lot more in the long run as routes are changed and altered to meet the needs of communities even though they are commercially not viable as most nexus services currently are. Also I don't really see any appeal of grey and red buses on every street corner yuck. One or two is bad enough!
Of the £60 million bus companies receive from the public purse, £40 million is payment for concessionary travel, at about half the going price - in other words, £40 million buys £80 million worth of travel! Then £12 million is BSOG, which is used to keep fares low. And £10 million is what Nexus spends on secured services - buses to schools, factories and to some of the more remote parts of Tyne and Wear that could never be done commercially. Total costs to the taxpayer £62 million, but buys £90 million worth of travel. Sounds like a good deal to me!
To be honest, I find Nexus rather cumbersome to deal with. Following the withdrawal of service 99 from the Clacton Road Bus Terminus area of Hylton Castle, I asked Nexus in October last year if they would look into installing a southbound bus stop on Ferryboat Lane as an alternative for passengers, which would also benefit the NexusBus 592. I was delighted to hear that progress was being made to introduce through the normal procedures new bus stops on Ferryboat Lane. Nine months or so later, there is still no bus stop in place. There is a gap of around 1km between the southbound bus stop on Cardigan Road in Hylton Castle, and the eastbound bus stop on Ringway in Castletown; a route potentially serving the entire southern end of Hylton Castle. This is still something I’m chasing up. I asked Go North East about this on OpenLine on Wednesday, and I was informed that they will be looking at the route of service 99 for service changes later in the year, so I’m hoping there’s a chance that buses will revert back to serving Clacton Road.
With regards to secured services, I made a suggestion to Nexus last year regarding the NexusBus 135/136. Nexus had proposed evening/Sunday trips on the Stagecoach 18/19 route in a consultation a few years ago. Sadly, I was informed that Nexus’ budget was already fully committed in retaining existing levels of service. I suggested re-working the 135/136 into an hourly 99A from Sunderland to Seaburn, but instead of operating into Morrison’s, continue up the coast and into South Bents Estate instead. This would have given an evening/Sunday link on the 18/19 route from South Bents Estate, Seaburn, and Fulwell across to Pallion and the Royal Hospital, at no extra cost to Nexus. The reply was that Nexus were reluctant to make changes that could damage the income currently generated by these services. I don’t understand why the taxpayer should be paying for the link on the 135/136 to Sunderland when there are commercial alternatives available; the half hourly 11 to Trimdon Street, and the 3/4/13/16 each every 20/30 minutes to the North Estates. So it seems that 135/136 will continue to piggyback upon the success of Stagecoach, while those on the 18/19 route to the Royal Hospital benefit from no such evening/Sunday service. Great.
What Nexus haven’t told the general public about that £60 odd million paid to operators, is that the reduction in commercial evening/Sunday services is likely to be due in part from the free concessionary travel scheme. If operators are only paid the same amount irregardless of distance travelled, then it’s inevitable that some journeys will run at a loss. I’m led to understand this is why the Arriva X60/X61 was withdrawn, despite the packed out buses.
Go North East have proposed a “bus only” version of the Network One ticket in their Say Yes Now campaign. This would overcome the problems of using more than one bus operator, and benefit passengers by serving as a bar to keep commercial tickets from exceeding. Working in partnership has been shown to work in East Gateshead, with Go North East paying into a fund when certain standards aren’t met. The partnership in South Tyneside looks set to cascade Citaros onto the Crusader 27 at some point, and has worked to deliver a substantially improved bus service to Hebburn, Monkton Lane and Luke’s Lane on South Tyne 88/88A in place of the service 16.
I do want to see improvements in bus operations, but I believe this is best achieved through active partnership between bus operators, local councils, and the general public. There’s no reason why an agreement could not be reached in partnership with Nexus, whereby if a high floor bus was used for any commercial journey in Tyne and Wear, or if a wheelchair ramp did not work, or if reliability was not met, money would then be put into a fund for Nexus to support and grow the network of secured services.
I actually like the branding to be honest; I don’t think there’s a single one I don’t like. Having said that, I do prefer the former Venture branding with the maroon skirt; but I appreciate that it is cheaper to have a single colour coat, especially in today’s economic climate and the nature of the Consett work. It’s encouraging to hear of Go North East’s enthusiasm to dispose of SPD’s, but there are still an awful lot of them and replacements would have to be sought for the likes of the 17 and 38.
Although it may be a good deal in the short term, there are still a large number of costs which will have to be forked out by local councils and indeed Nexus. The initial setup costs are being forgotten about as are the long term impact of unprofitable routes, which if councils and communities are left to decided where they want their buses to go to then the routes certainly will be unprofitable.
You will also see bus operators pull out of areas thus causing job losses and we all no what will happen then. NEXUS will be blamed for putting hundreds out of work and there will be a backlash against this whole scheme.
Hopefully a cross ticketing between operators will be agreed then Nexus will go away.
Waggonway DAF 4987 R982FNW caught fire yesterday in Wrekenton!