(28 May 2020, 7:44 pm)Andreos1 wrote Not really. At the narrowest point, Kells Lane is meters from Durham Road. Dryden Road then shadows it for its length. 
You wouldn't be losing that link at all. 

I'd suggest more people would be inconvenced losing a link to/from their local hospital, than those walking a couple of minutes down Lowreys Lane.

However, if the connection between the various parts of Birtley to the local hospital isn't well used, it goes back to my question the other day. Why? Why aren't people using the bus which serves the various estates of Birtley and beyond, to get to/from work, visiting or appointments at the QE? It's not as if the QE isn't a popular (and I use the word loosely) destination for the people of Gateshead (including the most vulnerable and possibly those in the lower demographics). The footfall is massive, yet here we are seeing direct bus services to it - reduced.
Just like we've seen in Sunderland.

I'd argue that the link to the hospital is well used, and it's simply that it fits the frequency they want for Harlow Green, if anything.

28 is once an hour. The rest of the services are all very frequent.

The 25 sits in the middle at every 30.

It's a cost cutting measure. They've saved money by re-routing a bus which already runs every half an hour, and meh, if people want the QE sod them, they can just change buses. Simple enough isn't it?!

Pre-covid, bus use has been down year on year. Is it really any wonder when essential links are being chopped left, right and centre.

Who would clart on getting two buses, adding christ knows how long onto their journey there and back (when it was previously 15 minutes each way) when they could just get a taxi!