Pricing

Tom · 25 May 2016, 4:20 pm,

(25 May 2016, 4:08 pm)MVK 500R wrote £2.80 from Newcastle to Wallsend on the 1. Get the 22/40/12 and it's £2.35.

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£2.10 to Manors though - not sure why they couldn't extend the zone to Newcastle as a lot more people would use it I think.

1 is cheaper for returns/day tickets and week tickets though.

LVK 404L · 25 May 2016, 7:49 pm,

The most ridiculous fare comparison has to be stagecoach X34 vs Go North East X36

Boldon Asda - Newcastle day ticket

X34 £3.95
X36 a whopping £6.30

Buzzfare zones need to be revised for sure.

MVK 500R · 26 May 2016, 7:06 am,

(25 May 2016, 7:49 pm)ifm001 wrote The most ridiculous fare comparison has to be stagecoach X34 vs Go North East X36

Boldon Asda - Newcastle day ticket

X34 £3.95
X36 a whopping £6.30

Buzzfare zones need to be revised for sure.

And the Stagecoach ticket allows unlimited travel within Tyne and Wear.

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idiot · 26 May 2016, 7:34 am,

Let's face it GNE want the X36 to fail..

Greg in Weardale · 26 May 2016, 8:04 am,

Just like the X3 !!!

LVK 404L · 26 May 2016, 4:05 pm,

Yes but it just shows that the whole buzzfare range needs revised

Aperson living in South Shields travelling to Newcastle or Metrocentre needs 2 zones red and purple but a person living in North Shields needs just one zone, blue. There is no consistency at all with Buzzfare zones.

As other people have mentioned also. The stagecoach day rider is wholly Tyne and Wear and for just £3.95 so if SNE can do a Tyne and Wear ticket why can't GNE.

And don't get me started on Smartzone.

Andreos1 · 26 May 2016, 5:42 pm,

(26 May 2016, 4:05 pm)ifm001 wrote Yes but it just shows that the whole buzzfare range needs revised

Aperson living in South Shields travelling to Newcastle or Metrocentre needs 2 zones red and purple but a person living in North Shields needs just one zone, blue. There is no consistency at all with Buzzfare zones.

As other people have mentioned also. The stagecoach day rider is wholly Tyne and Wear and for just £3.95 so if SNE can do a Tyne and Wear ticket why can't GNE.

And don't get me started on Smartzone.

They did and very reasonably priced it was. Until a genius decided to double the equivalent journey overnight for some, with the introduction of the coloured zones

BusLoverMum · 26 May 2016, 7:08 pm,

(26 May 2016, 4:05 pm)ifm001 wrote Yes but it just shows that the whole buzzfare range needs revised

Aperson living in South Shields travelling to Newcastle or Metrocentre needs 2 zones red and purple but a person living in North Shields needs just one zone, blue. There is no consistency at all with Buzzfare zones.

As other people have mentioned also. The stagecoach day rider is wholly Tyne and Wear and for just £3.95 so if SNE can do a Tyne and Wear ticket why can't GNE.

And don't get me started on Smartzone.

I don't think Stagecoach would get away with charging as much for the whole of Tyne and Wear as GNE given the limitations in where their buses go within the region. Their day rider would be pretty useless if you wanted to get to Washington, for example.

Andreos1 · 26 May 2016, 8:40 pm,

(26 May 2016, 7:08 pm)BusLoverMum wrote I don't think Stagecoach would get away with charging as much for the whole of Tyne and Wear as GNE given the limitations in where their buses go within the region. Their day rider would be pretty useless if you wanted to get to Washington, for example.

Whilst there will be flaws in any zonal ticketing system, it begs the question as to why there are some on a section of route that is commuter central and susceptible to competition on a corridor, that has seen both the X3 and X36 fail or suffer gradual withdrawals - even with the onward connections offered by GNE at various points on their route.

In the same period, the X34 has grown. Despite the obvious limitations with onward connections in certain areas versus the GNE offer.

Tom · 26 May 2016, 8:42 pm,

(26 May 2016, 8:40 pm)Andreos1 wrote Whilst there will be flaws in any zonal ticketing system, it begs the question as to why there are some on a section of route that is commuter central and susceptible to competition on a corridor, that has seen both the X3 and X36 fail or suffer gradual withdrawals - even with the onward connections offered by GNE at various points on their route.

In the same period, the X34 has grown. Despite the obvious limitations with onward connections in certain areas versus the GNE offer.

Is a single not £4.80 or something between Sunderland and Newcastle too? Strange that if they want to compete with the metro they are charging ridiculous prices and as people said they seem to be providing no competition for Stagecoach/the metro.

Andreos1 · 26 May 2016, 9:09 pm,

(26 May 2016, 8:42 pm)Tom wrote Is a single not £4.80 or something between Sunderland and Newcastle too? Strange that if they want to compete with the metro they are charging ridiculous prices and as people said they seem to be providing no competition for Stagecoach/the metro.

I've got no idea how much a single is between Sunderland and Newcastle.

To be honest, I don't think any bus operator can compete with the Metro between the two.
From Sunderland City Centre, the 56 and X36 (in my opinion), provide local links. It is only when you get further afield and away from the Metro, that the bus becomes an interesting option - but it is up to the operators to make it attractive. They may attract some with frequency, wifi and plugs, but the ultimate decider will be price. Particularly around Boldon, where car ownership in the ever expanding private estates will be high.

Tom · 26 Jul 2016, 3:22 pm,

GNE have lowered their fares on the 1 again. Now only £2.40 from Newcastle up to Howdon down from £2.80.

MVK 500R · 26 Jul 2016, 3:27 pm,

(26 Jul 2016, 3:22 pm)Tom wrote GNE have lowered their fares on the 1 again. Now only £2.40 from Newcastle up to Howdon down from £2.80.

Well that's much better. It was an absolute rip off.

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Tom · 26 Jul 2016, 3:32 pm,

(26 Jul 2016, 3:27 pm)MVK 500R wrote Well that's much better. It was an absolute rip off.

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Yeah I agree compared to the 22 it was.

Tom · 01 Aug 2016, 10:33 am,

(26 Jul 2016, 3:22 pm)Tom wrote GNE have lowered their fares on the 1 again. Now only £2.40 from Newcastle up to Howdon down from £2.80.

They've also lowered the return fare, £3.50 for Newcastle-Howdon which is 45p cheaper than Stagecoach now. Good to see, have any other routes done the same?

MVK 500R · 01 Aug 2016, 11:42 am,

(01 Aug 2016, 10:33 am)Tom wrote They've also lowered the return fare, £3.50 for Newcastle-Howdon which is 45p cheaper than Stagecoach now. Good to see, have any other routes done the same?

To be fair, Stagecoach don't do returns. You'll get a Day ticket regardles.

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Ambassador · 01 Aug 2016, 6:22 pm,

(01 Aug 2016, 10:33 am)Tom wrote They've also lowered the return fare, £3.50 for Newcastle-Howdon which is 45p cheaper than Stagecoach now. Good to see, have any other routes done the same?

They've mostly been raising prices where they have a monopoly...

Tom · 01 Aug 2016, 6:24 pm,

(01 Aug 2016, 6:22 pm)Ambassador wrote They've mostly been raising prices where they have a monopoly...

Not surprised at all to be honest.

Tamesider · 01 Aug 2016, 8:41 pm,

(01 Aug 2016, 6:24 pm)Tom wrote Not surprised at all to be honest.

Yes. Standard Free v Captive market policy of the private sector - of which Stagecoach are specialists. My 87 year old Mum can no longer use conventional buses due to Arthritis, but if she could and had to go to her GP before 0930, it would cost her £1.90 for the 0.7 mile journey - as it would all other adults, of course. However, if she/we lived in (relatively) well off Swinton, a 6 mile journey into Manchester would cost just £1.20. Reason; the GP s is on a low car ownership route on which Stagecoach have a monopoly on - albeit a heavily subsidised rail line abstracts passengers in the opposite direction, to Manchester. Swinton however, is the benficiary of a bus war with First resulting from the aquisition of Finglands ifrom EYMS in early 2014.

Tom · 01 Aug 2016, 10:19 pm,

(01 Aug 2016, 8:41 pm)Tamesider wrote Yes. Standard Free v Captive market policy of the private sector - of which Stagecoach are specialists. My 87 year old Mum can no longer use conventional buses due to Arthritis, but if she could and had to go to her GP before 0930, it would cost her £1.90 for the 0.7 mile journey - as it would all other adults, of course. However, if she/we lived in (relatively) well off Swinton, a 6 mile journey into Manchester would cost just £1.20. Reason; the GP s is on a low car ownership route on which Stagecoach have a monopoly on - albeit a heavily subsidised rail line abstracts passengers in the opposite direction, to Manchester. Swinton however, is the benficiary of a bus war with First resulting from the aquisition of Finglands ifrom EYMS in early 2014.

I thought the pricing up here was bad! £1.90 for less than a mile is shocking