(26 Sep 2023, 5:36 pm)logidoodah Putting ex-london and ex East Gateshead Loop 6160 & 6161 on the 701 was the worst thing they could've done.

The seats are appalling, the buses have broke down at least once a day. The drivers hate driving em and always complain to passengers when passengers complain to them about the state, smell, look of them.

They latest contract changes have been devastating on the reliability of the service. With 2 701s running together as they only get 5 mins layover. Sometimes it takes longer than that to get the students on at Clanny House, City Campus & St Peters. And with the buses breaking down all the time the queues have been huge at the campus'. With people getting the 700 (solo) to park lane and walking as its quicker. 

Also the branding on the solos needs changing as most students see the blue bus with City Campus, Clanny House and Hospital on the side and get on it to their dismay that they only can get to park lane.

Utterly disgraceful!

(27 Sep 2023, 5:40 am)nova347 The Prince Bishops Vinyls are worse because they're put on individually, like small letters on top of the paintwork and have been there for about 7 year compared to the drifters which have the blue paint but then a massive vinyl sticker put down the whole bus not just with Drifter on it but with all the seaside branding as well.

(26 Sep 2023, 5:58 pm)54APhotography It's a 30 min journey max, perhaps the offspring of the Chinese communist party expect better? Walking would be a good idea for most of them anyway.

(27 Sep 2023, 1:21 pm)54APhotography Moan about them.of they were on the X10/X21, which they have been. They are ideal for urban use. The 93/94 they previously worked on is longer 

Defend the Chinese all you wish, they aren't from hard working families, they're all communist party children. Research the social fabric of the country.

(27 Sep 2023, 6:08 pm)F114TML Has the maintainance budget run dry at riverside? Regularly seeing X10s doing some wonderful advertising sitting in a layby on the A19 with hazards on and a bunch of confused passengers on the other side of the barrier. Some of them aren't even X10 branded - it was a Crusader the other night. 

(27 Sep 2023, 1:38 pm)logidoodah I know this is the case for a lot of Arrivas and more of GNEs fleet as time goes on but this was the first time I have been on them. They're not fit for any route...And if they can't handle looping around Sunderland every 25 mins without breaking down then they should be scrapped imo. I think the E400's would have been better as at least they are dual door and can help with crowding...

I wasn't defending anyone but overall opposing your point everyone should walk because the buses aren't fit for service. 

Thanks for your real valuable input 

(28 Sep 2023, 7:31 am)54APhotography When is a decker full on the 701? I haven't even seen an E200 full on the 701 in the past. The service avoids the town and the bus station, just like the E200s tripping between Clanny House and St. Peter's.

If anything the use of deckers is overkill given the loading JH reported for the service. Pretty sure despite being 11 years old these B9's are fit for short hop work, it's what they have proven all over the world.

(28 Sep 2023, 7:07 pm)Charles41 Broken down GNE bus parked near Joicey Road / Durham Road, Low Fell. No lights not even hazards.

Motorists heading North have to drive around it against oncoming traffic.

An accident just waiting to happen.

Charles

(28 Sep 2023, 7:10 pm)Ambassador Is that still there? The versa? It was there before 5pm but had hazards on. 

There was a knackered X10 blocking the lane towards the High Level Bridge too

(27 Sep 2023, 6:42 pm)Andreos1 Guessing the E400s they're throwing on the 21 aren't cut out for the A19.

(28 Sep 2023, 8:52 pm)L469 YVK Is it any wonder when they are only 4x for the X10 and no dedicated spares? Arriva's Classic E400s at Ashington (14/64/15 plates) have had a way harder stretch given their age before 7563-81 replaced them.

A re-work of the Consett rotas & interworking patterns (X30/X31 split from the X45) would solve the issue  and allow a single fleet of E400MMC at Riverside covering both the X10 & X21.

Totally get that it would be 'inefficient' to have remote reliefs at Stanley, but curtailing the 6 at Stanley (maybe re-interworking with the 12) and extending the X31 to Lanchester in place would level the driving hours out to compensate for the remote reliefs. Not forgetting reducing the cost and occurance of recoveries from as far as the Wear Valley and Teesside.

(27 Sep 2023, 1:21 pm)54APhotography Moan about them.of they were on the X10/X21, which they have been. They are ideal for urban use. The 93/94 they previously worked on is longer 

Defend the Chinese all you wish, they aren't from hard working families, they're all communist party children. Research the social fabric of the country.

(28 Sep 2023, 10:00 pm)Adtrainsam Not trying to take this thread off-topic anymore, but I’m of Chinese ethnicity, born & bred in Sunderland and my family & I worked very hard to get to where we are today. I’m now studying at a top London uni. Perhaps best not to tarnish all Asians with the same brush.

Back on topic - I wonder if it’s just a GNE maintenance issue. They weren’t that troublesome on the Loops…