City Transport
City Transport
Hi all - some positive news in that Nexus are happy to support us registering a bus service at short notice!
This means that the service will no longer have to work on the original proposal of it being pre booked, and that instead you will be able to board and pay the driver like a regular service bus.
We do still intend to pick up only at Galleries, Concord and Heworth, as we are expecting the service to be extremely busy - although we will possibly be able to drop off at any stop.
We are hoping to submit all the documents to the Traffic Commissioner on Monday morning and start the service literally as soon as they give us the approval - although please realise that this step could take a few days.
There is an awful lot of work for me and my team to get this going so please bear with us, and I will do my best to keep you all updated on this group. If you have any questions please put them in the comments and I will get round to responding as soon as I can.
Spotted on Facebook that City Transport is intending to run essentially a short 4 (Galleries to Heworth). They claim to have Nexus support to submit a short notice registration:
Hi all - some positive news in that Nexus are happy to support us registering a bus service at short notice!
This means that the service will no longer have to work on the original proposal of it being pre booked, and that instead you will be able to board and pay the driver like a regular service bus.
We do still intend to pick up only at Galleries, Concord and Heworth, as we are expecting the service to be extremely busy - although we will possibly be able to drop off at any stop.
We are hoping to submit all the documents to the Traffic Commissioner on Monday morning and start the service literally as soon as they give us the approval - although please realise that this step could take a few days.
There is an awful lot of work for me and my team to get this going so please bear with us, and I will do my best to keep you all updated on this group. If you have any questions please put them in the comments and I will get round to responding as soon as I can.
I'd be genuinely amazed if that gets approved and others weren't then looking at the following.....
Newcastle to Metrocentre is around 20 mins each way
Birtley to Gateshead is around 25 mins each way
Wrekenton to Gateshead is around 20 mins each way
Metrocentre via Dunston to Gateshead is around 25 mins each way
Sunderland to Houghton is around 25 mins each way
Crawcrook to Metrocentre is about 25 mins each way
Half tempted to buy my own Bus!
Update 6th November - All documents have been submitted to the Office of the Traffic Commissioner for the service to start immediately - all we are waiting for now is their 'go-ahead' (iif you'll pardon the pun) and the service can start.
I have phoned several times today to chase this, and Nexus to their credit have also contacted them so hopefully we can get over this final hurdle ASAP.
Nexus are also producing some timetables for us, and we will publish these as soon as available. I will do a follow-up post for people to share with the service details.
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![[Image: 43e636d0677c1cfdc774014b30e42ddb.jpg]](https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20231106/43e636d0677c1cfdc774014b30e42ddb.jpg)
NEW BUS SERVICE FOR WASHINGTON AND HEWORTH
NEW BUS SERVICE FOR WASHINGTON AND HEWORTH
City Transport has today submitted an application to the Office of the Traffic Commissioner to operate a service between Washington, Concord and Heworth Metro, numbered c4, starting as soon as approval is given by the OTC.
This service will operate Monday to Friday, hourly from 7am until 6pm (with a gap in the middle of the day to facilitate driver break).
The service will operate a similar route to the other operators' service 4 between Washington and Heworth, with a few exceptions -
• Galleries Bus Station is currently closed, so the service will start and finish at the stops in the Sainsbury's Car Park at The Galleries.
• Will not serve Follingsby Park
All other stops along the route will be served.
Fares for this service will be flat single fares only - £3 adult and £2 child (5-15yrs). Concessionary passes are accepted in line with local rules.
Please before anyone gives any commentary on fares understand that we do not have the economies of scale that large bus operators have when it comes to our operating costs, and we are operating this service fully commercially without any financial support from the local authority.
Please see the timetable below, and should you have any questions comment below and I will respond as soon as I am able.
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(06 Nov 2023, 10:19 pm)Unber43 Does anyone know what type of bus will be operating it, as it could be a decker
(06 Nov 2023, 10:19 pm)Unber43 Does anyone know what type of bus will be operating it, as it could be a decker
(06 Nov 2023, 11:08 pm)deanmachine They've got an old 58 plate GNE Merc, don't know about anything else.
![[Image: 52894848355_a50319d151.jpg]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52894848355_a50319d151.jpg)
City Transport Group 5811 / YJ51 RCV by kieron mathews, on Flickr(06 Nov 2023, 11:08 pm)deanmachine They've got an old 58 plate GNE Merc, don't know about anything else.
City Transport Group 5811 / YJ51 RCV by kieron mathews, on Flickr
@everyonee ️THE SERVICE HAS BEEN REGISTERED AND WILL START TOMORROW (8TH NOVEMBER)️
See you all tomorrow!
JUST TO REMIND YOU ALL WE ARE SELLING CASH SINGLE FARES ONLY - £3 ADULT AND £2 CHILD, AND THE BUS DEPARTS FROM THE SAINSBURY'S CAR PARK STOP AT WASHINGTON GALLERIES, AND STOP X AT HEWORTH METRO
Nexus timetable below - they have told us they will be updating bus stop liners tomorrow.
https://www.nexus.org.uk/.../documents/b...081123.pdf
Impressive turn around
If only more indies were around and available
Impressive an independent has fought their way through the bureaucracy to register this. A shame the likes of SNE and ANE haven't done anything. Yes I know there will be driver challenges though with their downsized ops in Sunderland and Shields you'd think they'd have some headroom by now. Also, presume there'd be nothing stopping them looking to agency drivers to operate new routes along core GNE corridors. I get that it would be expensive, but if they took a risk and embedded themselves on e.g. 20, 21 27, 56 routes, potentially there could be a permanent shift of patronage. Hopefully we will see a lot more of this as the GNE fiasco carries on and maybe the "management" will be in for a shock when they find their network and customers gone for good once they grow up or let the adults do the negotiating.
(07 Nov 2023, 8:50 pm)stagecoachbusdepot Impressive an independent has fought their way through the bureaucracy to register this. A shame the likes of SNE and ANE haven't done anything. Yes I know there will be driver challenges though with their downsized ops in Sunderland and Shields you'd think they'd have some headroom by now. Also, presume there'd be nothing stopping them looking to agency drivers to operate new routes along core GNE corridors. I get that it would be expensive, but if they took a risk and embedded themselves on e.g. 20, 21 27, 56 routes, potentially there could be a permanent shift of patronage. Hopefully we will see a lot more of this as the GNE fiasco carries on and maybe the "management" will be in for a shock when they find their network and customers gone for good once they grow up or let the adults do the negotiating.
(07 Nov 2023, 8:50 pm)stagecoachbusdepot Impressive an independent has fought their way through the bureaucracy to register this. A shame the likes of SNE and ANE haven't done anything. Yes I know there will be driver challenges though with their downsized ops in Sunderland and Shields you'd think they'd have some headroom by now. Also, presume there'd be nothing stopping them looking to agency drivers to operate new routes along core GNE corridors. I get that it would be expensive, but if they took a risk and embedded themselves on e.g. 20, 21 27, 56 routes, potentially there could be a permanent shift of patronage. Hopefully we will see a lot more of this as the GNE fiasco carries on and maybe the "management" will be in for a shock when they find their network and customers gone for good once they grow up or let the adults do the negotiating.
If I was Stagecoach Sunderland I would be running service
56 Sunderland - Newcastle (every 30 Mins) PVR 6
42 - Sunderland - Silksworth (every 30 Mins) PVR 3
60 - Sunderland - Parkside (every 30 Mins) PVR 5
20X - Sunderland - Durham (every 30 Mins) PVR 5
Extend the 3 to Low Moorsley too PVR 2 Extra
(07 Nov 2023, 8:50 pm)stagecoachbusdepot Impressive an independent has fought their way through the bureaucracy to register this. A shame the likes of SNE and ANE haven't done anything. Yes I know there will be driver challenges though with their downsized ops in Sunderland and Shields you'd think they'd have some headroom by now. Also, presume there'd be nothing stopping them looking to agency drivers to operate new routes along core GNE corridors. I get that it would be expensive, but if they took a risk and embedded themselves on e.g. 20, 21 27, 56 routes, potentially there could be a permanent shift of patronage. Hopefully we will see a lot more of this as the GNE fiasco carries on and maybe the "management" will be in for a shock when they find their network and customers gone for good once they grow up or let the adults do the negotiating.
(07 Nov 2023, 8:50 pm)stagecoachbusdepot Impressive an independent has fought their way through the bureaucracy to register this. A shame the likes of SNE and ANE haven't done anything. Yes I know there will be driver challenges though with their downsized ops in Sunderland and Shields you'd think they'd have some headroom by now. Also, presume there'd be nothing stopping them looking to agency drivers to operate new routes along core GNE corridors. I get that it would be expensive, but if they took a risk and embedded themselves on e.g. 20, 21 27, 56 routes, potentially there could be a permanent shift of patronage. Hopefully we will see a lot more of this as the GNE fiasco carries on and maybe the "management" will be in for a shock when they find their network and customers gone for good once they grow up or let the adults do the negotiating.
(07 Nov 2023, 8:55 pm)Adrian I'm really surprised at Stagecoach in particular. It'd only take a finite amount of resource to say put the 100 back on between Newcastle and Metrocentre, even on a much-reduced half hour frequency, but they and Arriva just don't seem bothered. Despite train currently being the only sensible option between the two. It's another example of why the deregulated market doesn't work.
(07 Nov 2023, 8:55 pm)Adrian I'm really surprised at Stagecoach in particular. It'd only take a finite amount of resource to say put the 100 back on between Newcastle and Metrocentre, even on a much-reduced half hour frequency, but they and Arriva just don't seem bothered. Despite train currently being the only sensible option between the two. It's another example of why the deregulated market doesn't work.
