(14 Oct 2020, 10:05 am)Storx wrote It's still a very bold claim to categorically say that the buses will only get investment if they cut the frequency. No-one knows the data for services, even known they possibly could be making a small loss during the day (could be balanced a bit out from small hopper journeys from Blyth to South Beach or Whitley to Lynn Road etc), the frequency is very needed at peak times.

For Arriva they could just think it's easier to run the whole thing at every 15 minutes all day rather than doing 15 at peaks, 20 in between not to mention they have the schools runs which hit right in the middle then drivers doing nothing inbetween (there's nothing for them to drop off to Blyth).

I don't want to make assumptions though but it's you can't categorically say something without the data that they have. I don't live under a rock to say that it would never be cut but it's definitely not a certain as the person I replied to claimed.

As it stands, GoNe as of Jan 2020 has reduce the Coast Road & 57 PVR count combined by 16%. If they dropped the 309 & 310 to every 30 minutes with the 311 running every 15 minutes, that would reduce the PVR by a further 11% which I doubt they would do for a negligible saving.

Arriva on the other hand if they reduced the 306 & 308 to every 20 minutes would reduce the headcount of full size vehicles (single or double deck) by nearly 28%. With the 51/51A (minibuses) also taken into account and an extension of the 51A to Marden & Whitley Bay, that saving would still almost be 20%.

GoNE are in the stronger position and if Arriva reduced frequency, they'd likely have to pull the X6 unless other misc workings could be pulled in to cover it. I tried timetabling a reduced 306/308 with the X6 and it's almost impossible. Most of the connections onto the X6 are covered by GoNE too.