04 Aug 2015, 10:16 pm
#191
(03 Aug 2015, 10:46 pm)G-CPTN I presume that GNE might not have had pax usage figures for Snaith (and Tyne Valley) services (though maybe NCC should have been able to provide 'expectations'?)
I cannot imagine that any operator would introduce a service without figures to support the expected demand.
There had, apparently, been a 'meeting' where said passenger had expressed her concerns which had now become reality.
My personal inconveniences are restricted to needing to walk further in Hexham (currently from the Hospital to ALDI/Tesco 'soon' to be from the new bus station at Loosing Hill) and back 'up' to the bus station - currently on Priestpopple, later Loosing Hill - which will almost certainly mean that I will no longer visit the town centre shops in Fore Street and adjacent to the bus station (fruit shop and bakers).
I have an adequate choice of buses (TEN, 685 and X84/X85) - though the timings today meant that I transferred from GNE to Stagecoach/Arriva (both ways scheduled before the GNE services).
I don't suppose that the loss of my custom will break GNE . . .
As the piece from the Hexham Courant says, the service has been thinned out at the County Councils request as they have to cut their overall spend on secured bus services by £200,000 per annum.
What Go North East are operating will be what the County Council wanted/can afford.
It is unfortunate that the County Council has to cut its spending on bus services, but this clearly means that there will be fewer buses operating, and those that do might not run at the same times as before, especially where passenger numbers are low.
