(16 Apr 2020, 4:27 pm)L469 YVK wrote You've got to remember that there will likely (although 100% certain) be a lot of changes to people's travel patterns post C19 for various reasons. Bus operators (not just GNE) will need to likely adapt to that and change their services to reflect the shift in travel patterns.
For starters, 3/4 of a route wouldn't be ignored. The frequency would be reduced to reflect demand and I can see Arriva even potentially doing the same (albeit every 20 minutes each). GNE for all we know might just decide to 'sweat it out' and wait for Arriva & Stagecoach to crack by cutting their frequencies and service levels (22, 22x, x6, 306, 308) and subsequently come out better off.
The timings BTW aren't an idea as such but more a thought of what could potentially be implemented by GNE in response to changing travel patterns.
But as I've said above, all operators will likely need to adapt various routes in response to travel patterns potentially changing.
The 306 and 308 wont be getting reduced though, they're 2 of their flagship routes and nothing has changed to make them lose customers and also reducing the 306 wouldn't work because of the 30 minute extension to Whitley. They've been every 15 minutes forever and there's no competition changes to negatively impact them if anything they'll have gained from GNE dropping theirs to every 20 minutes. Not to mention the fact that everytime Arriva put singles on the 308 they struggle heavily at peak times after promising numerous times they wont.
The problem with the Coast Road and GNE is the 1 (Stagecoach) and 22 extension as now anyone from the West End no longer has to purchase seperate tickets to travel to Cobalt (the main purpose of the 309/310). Reducing the 309 and 310 on the extreme services will just kill them completely. No-one in their right mind would pay more for a less frequent service which takes longer regardless to whether it has folding seats or whatever. 4 buses an hour vs 2 buses an hour is a killer and with the 22 and 1 eating away at Cobalt, you've got a bit of a pointless bus route. If anything is going to go it'll be the 311 not the 309 or 310 as it duplicates them mostly.
The primary flows for these services are:
306 - Newcastle -> Billy Mill -> North Shields -> Tynemouth
308 - Newcastle -> Billy Mill -> Rake Lane -> Whitley -> S. Sluice -> Blyth
309 - Newcastle -> Battle Hill -> Cobalt | Cobalt -> Rake Lane -> Whitley -> S. Sluice -> Blyth
310 - Newcastle -> Battle Hill -> Cobalt -> Verne Road -> North Shields
311 - Newcastle -> Battle Hill -> Hadrian Park
The fact they happen to travel along the Coast Road is because it's the quickest way to the outlier places. Once you start butchering the outlier places the Coast Road part becomes irrelavant and you've got a pointless bus route hence why the 57/58 got scrapped as it carried fresh air most the day. If there really is such an issue with these services ditch the hungry deckers and replace them with singles before starting to butcher the routes further again.