Pricing

[Tom]

He is some strange pricing -

On the Q3 from Wallsend you can get to Metrocentre (via Newcastle on the 10/10A/10B) for £3.55 a day or £11.65 a week. Yet on the 11 it is £5.90 return or £24.90 a week. Over £13 difference is a canny bit! I think they should extend the newcastle Metrocentre day/week saver on the Coaster/Blue Arrow from Wallsend as that would really have a good effect on passenger numbers competing with Stagecoach is it was advertised well.

[BusLoverMum]

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.

Is that before or after 9:30 am?

[Tamesider]

Is that before or after 9:30 am?

Full fare applies to most Concessionaries before 0930. The £1.20 fare to the west of the city (as with all Adult Stagecoach fares) apply at any time of day

[Tom]

I think the single fares have gone up on GNE as on the 1 tonight someone was charged £2.15 from Churchill Street to North Shields when it's normally £2.10 - I've seen no mention of it mind!!

[Michael]

I think the single fares have gone up on GNE as on the 1 tonight someone was charged £2.15 from Churchill Street to North Shields when it's normally £2.10 - I've seen no mention of it mind!!

Never do now for single fares now.

[Tom]

Never do now for single fares now.

It's pretty poor like.

[GuyParkRoyal]

I think the single fares have gone up on GNE as on the 1 tonight someone was charged £2.15 from Churchill Street to North Shields when it's normally £2.10 - I've seen no mention of it mind!!

Go North East Fares increase from 30 November 2016 and it appears that the majority of tickets are affected exceptions being 3 Zone Buzz Fare and Transfares. The fare calculator on the Go North East website has been updated with the revised fares.

The £2.15 fare on the Coaster should not have been applied until the 30th.

[Andreos1]

Go North East Fares increase from 30 November 2016 and it appears that the majority of tickets are affected exceptions being 3 Zone Buzz Fare and Transfares. The fare calculator on the Go North East website has been updated with the revised fares.

The £2.15 fare on the Coaster should not have been applied until the 30th.

Hopefully we wont see any repeat of the 5p debacle again

[GuyParkRoyal]

Hopefully we wont see any repeat of the 5p debacle again

Looks like single fares are going up by 5p so lets hope that there has been a proactive approach to ordering enough 5p coins for drivers cash floats to meet demand.

[Tom]

Go North East Fares increase from 30 November 2016 and it appears that the majority of tickets are affected exceptions being 3 Zone Buzz Fare and Transfares. The fare calculator on the Go North East website has been updated with the revised fares.

The £2.15 fare on the Coaster should not have been applied until the 30th.

Yeah no idea how that worked- unless they updated the ticket machines early? 99.9% sure the driver said £2.15 though.

[Tamesider]

I think the single fares have gone up on GNE as on the 1 tonight someone was charged £2.15 from Churchill Street to North Shields when it's normally £2.10 - I've seen no mention of it mind!!

According to Google that's nearly 10 miles - shurely some mishtake. Just checked Stagecoach Manchester's website for my local routes and its £2.10 for 0.5 to 1.49 miles and £2.40 for 1.5 to 2.49 miles

[Tom]

According to Google that's nearly 10 miles - shurely some mishtake. Just checked Stagecoach Manchester's website for my local routes and its £2.10 for 0.5 to 1.49 miles and £2.40 for 1.5 to 2.49 miles

Not that far! Only about 4 miles. Then again you can get from Ridley Avenue to Byker for £1.50 which is about 6 miles.

Those prices are ridiculous! Do they have a monopoly in the area mentioned?

[Tamesider]

Not that far! Only about 4 miles. Then again you can get from Ridley Avenue to Byker for £1.50 which is about 6 miles.

Those prices are ridiculous! Do they have a monopoly in the area mentioned?

They do on the sections of route mentioned, but even when competition was at its highest in the 1990s, very few services in GM saw fare reductions. Towards Manchester, there is competition from heavy rail, but bus fares are still significantly higher than off-peak rail, especially for passengers crossing the city centre. Rail frequency is lower though, and punctuality can be appalling.

[Andreos1]

Currently making my way to Durham on a mind numbingly awful purple Streetlite. The drivers still insist on taking my eyes out with the £4.10 fare.

[Tamesider]

Currently making my way to Durham on a mind numbingly awful purple Streetlite. The drivers still insist on taking my eyes out with the £4.10 fare.

WADR (I've just invented that), without knowing where you boarded and how far it is to Durham, its difficult to pass judgement. Nevertheless, it does seem excessive for a single ticket on what I assume is an all stops service. Also, last I heard, Drivers don't decide fares policy - except on certain Operators in GM who have thankfully now ceased, that is.

[Tamesider]

According to Google that's nearly 10 miles - shurely some mishtake. Just checked Stagecoach Manchester's website for my local routes and its £2.10 for 0.5 to 1.49 miles and £2.40 for 1.5 to 2.49 miles

Just to put this into context; Stagecoach DayRiders are £4, so single fares only apply to those making, well, single journeys, and all services in the area are fully commercial, so there is little danger of passengers having to pay two singles on the basis of the bus home being run by another Operator. OTOH, even taking the £4 as a flat fare for all day use, it is now virtually impossible for a motorist making a to/from town centre journey in my borough (Tameside) to pay as much as a bus passengers. In the town where I live (the £2.40 above refers to the fare to the town centre), the Council provide 60 spaces, but at least 1200 free spaces are provided by retailers, with the vast majority not even restricted to patrons only or by time limit. Additionally, (Labour controlled) Tameside MBC have just introduced a maximum £2 parking limit on all its car parks, for all day (about 2700 spaces). With motoring organisations quoting about 18p per mile variable costs of motoring (mainly fuel), that means a round trip of 11 miles to reach the £2 cost - to be added on to £2 parking. Thus you would have to live at least 5.5 miles from your destination for it to be more expensive than bus fare. The main town in the borough, Ashton-under-Lyne is centrally located and therefore less than 5.5 miles from any council tax paying resident. Other main towns are less centrally located, but have smaller catchment areas and a higher proportion of free parking. Of course, work usually takes people out of the borough - especially as job oppurtunities are lower than average - but here a car remains the choice for the vast majority (even if only to access the train station/tram stop), as medium/long distance bus services have all but disappeared since 1986.

[MVK 500R]

So, got an email from GNE telling me to buy now as they're revising Buzzfares from tomorrow, yet nothing on how much they're going up by, which is helpful(!)

[Tom]

So, got an email from GNE telling me to buy now as they're revising Buzzfares from tomorrow, yet nothing on how much they're going up by, which is helpful(!)

Is it normally the North Tyne saver you get? If so I can't see that going up.

[LVK 404L]

They do on the sections of route mentioned, but even when competition was at its highest in the 1990s, very few services in GM saw fare reductions. Towards Manchester, there is competition from heavy rail, but bus fares are still significantly higher than off-peak rail, especially for passengers crossing the city centre. Rail frequency is lower though, and punctuality can be appalling.

Bearing in mind though Manchester has 3 separate shuttle buses running regular which are free of charge to all customers serving a vast area of the City Centre I am sure the likes of the customers in Newcastle Sunderland and a few more major cities would give their right arm for unlimited free travel across the city centres.

[Adrian]

I think the single fares have gone up on GNE as on the 1 tonight someone was charged £2.15 from Churchill Street to North Shields when it's normally £2.10 - I've seen no mention of it mind!!

Never do now for single fares now.

I can't see why they don't post a full list of changes on the website, and just refer to it being available on line on the posters? It's all good and well saying they haven't done for a while now, but why not? Surely consumers should have visibility of prices, in order to make an informed choice of whether or not the service is still for them.

[Tamesider]

Bearing in mind though Manchester has 3 separate shuttle buses running regular which are free of charge to all customers serving a vast area of the City Centre I am sure the likes of the customers in Newcastle Sunderland and a few more major cities would give their right arm for unlimited free travel across the city centres.

True, but these run from Piccadilly Rail Station and involve quite a walk from bus stops. Also, one crazily serves Shudehill in one direction and not the other! As regards the routes on "my" side of Manchester (east), we had frequent cross city services until 1995, but these were kicked out of the city centre

[Ambassador]

I see the fare rises have gone pretty much under cover by publicity lovin social media hawks GNE

[Andreos1]

WADR (I've just invented that), without knowing where you boarded and how far it is to Durham, its difficult to pass judgement. Nevertheless, it does seem excessive for a single ticket on what I assume is an all stops service. Also, last I heard, Drivers don't decide fares policy - except on certain Operators in GM who have thankfully now ceased, that is.

Houghton to Durham on the 20/20A or X20. There's a slight variation in each of the routes, but the X20 is the quicker and shorter of the three - by virtue of missing East & West Rainton and Gilesgate.

[LVK 404L]

True, but these run from Piccadilly Rail Station and involve quite a walk from bus stops. Also, one crazily serves Shudehill in one direction and not the other! As regards the routes on "my" side of Manchester (east), we had frequent cross city services until 1995, but these were kicked out of the city centre

Once they leave Picadilly you can board and alight at many stops not just Picadilly. also the shuttle 2 starts and finishes at ShudeHill so how can you say only serves in one direction. At end of day Manchester has 3 fantastic free to use bus services. Wish we had that here.

[Dan]

Once they leave Picadilly you can board and alight at many stops not just Picadilly. also the shuttle 2 starts and finishes at ShudeHill so how can you say only serves in one direction. At end of day Manchester has 3 fantastic free to use bus services. Wish we had that here.

I suppose our equivalent would be the Sunderland Connect 700 service. This service is free to use for university students.

With the Manchester shuttle services, I have found that it is actually quicker to walk than it is to get those shuttle services and sit in all of the traffic.

[LVK 404L]

I suppose our equivalent would be the Sunderland Connect 700 service. This service is free to use for university students.

With the Manchester shuttle services, I have found that it is actually quicker to walk than it is to get those shuttle services and sit in all of the traffic.

Yes Dan but my point is there are 3 bus services free to anyone not just students or pensioners. it is a great asset to Manchester and envied by many  I suppose it depends on which part you can walk to but Shudehill to Deansgate is quite a walk I'd rather sit in traffic on a free bus  no comparison to our 700 at all.

[Tamesider]

Once they leave Picadilly you can board and alight at many stops not just Picadilly. also the shuttle 2 starts and finishes at ShudeHill so how can you say only serves in one direction. At end of day Manchester has 3 fantastic free to use bus services. Wish we had that here.

I accept its an excellent service overall, but is mainly for Rail commuters accessing parts of the city Trams don't serve - especially as the MetroShuttles themselves can no longer get to many of the city centre shops, with such as Corporation Street being given over to Trams. And you're a bit behind with MetroShuttle 2. From Piccadilly Rail Station, it goes through the Northern Quarter (nowhere near Piccadilly Bus Station), stopping at Church Street (c. 300 metres from Shudehill). It then runs non stop along High Street, Withy Grove and even Urbis, before stopping outside Victoria Station. It only stops at Shudehill on the way back from Oxford Road Station (and Deansgate/Victoria)

[Andreos1]

It appears Bridget Phillipson is now involved in the GNE price increase debate, after being informed of it by constituents.

[James101]

Yes Dan but my point is there are 3 bus services free to anyone not just students or pensioners. it is a great asset to Manchester and envied by many  I suppose it depends on which part you can walk to but Shudehill to Deansgate is quite a walk I'd rather sit in traffic on a free bus  no comparison to our 700 at all.

When I was a student in Manchester I worked at the Pizza Hut on Corporation Street, the Metroshuttle 2 went past the front back then. We'd dare the new starters to sneak out on Saturday afternoon and try to do a full lap of the city on the bus before the manager noticed they were gone.

[Tamesider]

When I was a student in Manchester I worked at the Pizza Hut on Corporation Street, the Metroshuttle 2 went past the front back then. We'd dare the new starters to sneak out on Saturday afternoon and try to do a full lap of the city on the bus before the manager noticed they were gone.

All three routes have changed a number of times recently to accomodate Metrolink work - and will no doubt change again once the "second City Crossing" is open early next year