Well I think you've got to remember times change, travel patterns change, employment opportunities change, shopping & Lesiure developments change. I mean local to me is Seaham/Murton, rewind ten years there was no big supermarkets in this area no Asda, Tesco Express, Sainsburys Local, little shopping opportunities no Byron Place or dalton Park, and big high street shops. So weekly shopping (unless you could make do at Aldi or Kwik Save) had to be done out of the area at Sunderland, Peterlee, Washington etc. All Christmas shopping had to be out the area at the same locations or further afield like the Newcastle, MetroCentre etc. However these days all these things are in the area and this has to impact the bus services. People now can do there weekly shopping at the Harbour, Byron Place and Dalton Park can be used for most Christmas shopping etc. so these days people don't NEED to go to Newcastle or Sunderland unless they really want to. However obviously in recent years bus services have been cut a little with direct links to Newcastle, Washington been lost. I mean lets put this perspective I'm not saying everyone wants to always stay in their local area, Sunderland is always the closest most popular larger shopping destination with a very regular bus service. And this was at the time when GNE took away direct links to increase Buzzfare sales and frequent services I'm almost certain. But I think the point is here that less people need out of the area links like they used to however shopping habits have changed to match this people years and years back would shop at the local stores and go to the family butchers, the fruit & veg shop etc. but now the vast majority do go to Asda, so this has meant people may want to go out of the area. But I think we've got to look at these links and think if they are justifiable.
And I think this is a fantasy thread but out of the world suggestions are going to far. Suggesting that Seaham should have a direct link to North Shields and Consett aren't really going to happen or that Washington should have a direct link to Middlesbrough and Darlington. Think who's going to go on these services? Does anyone really want to travel that far by bus? Do people miss not having such service? I'm not suggesting that everyone's going to agree that every suggestion is good one but there are so many totally out of this world suggestions that are just laughable.
CatsFast101
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RE: Go North East Service Suggestions