(21 Jun 2017, 11:55 am)Andreos1 wrote Where to begin?

In my totally un-scientific observations whilst regularly passing a depot on Mandela Way and linking it back to hazy memories of post de-reg services from Sunderland Road, it seems that buses are returning back to the depot a lot earlier in to the evening than they used to.

I use those two depots in comparison, only because of the scenes I witnessed at Sunderland Road in the latter half of the 80's.

Is it just me, or are we seeing fewer services running in to the evening than in the past?

If we are, is it because of changing passenger habits or is it because of margins? Could it be down to fewer subsidies?

Back in the late 80's, I remember Gateshead Interchange being a hive of activity late in to the evening, with the roar of a Metrobus or screech of an Atlantean only whizzing back to the depot at full pelt after dropping off their last load of passengers.

I give you Hartlepool.

Most routes had an evening service until Stagecoach called the council's bluff on subsidies and lost. 

Granted, they are proposing bringing back weekday evening 6s soon. But after 10 years of no service the customer base has moved on to other forms of transport, they're not likely to come flooding back.

When was younger living in Hartlepool I could easily go see friends in Durham/Crook/Washington/Newcastle after college and get back home for 11pm using evening buses. I don't think it's possible to make such journeys anymore. 

I used to depend on the final few journeys on the 229/230 (now 23) which were contracted out to GNE. From what I could gather, only Durham County Council subsidised the route, destpite it running through Nexus and Hartlepool areas also. Naturally when DCC pulled their money the service was dropped, despite being fairly well used. It's fair enough DCC only want to foot the bill for DCC residents making journies in the county, rather than people like me using the service from Sunderland to Hartlepool.