(17 May 2021, 5:01 am)Dan wrote You see, I disagree. On the most part, you are correct, but we have seen success stories come of secured services in the past.The 29 comes to mind, cant think of any others though.
Go North East took the formerly Stagecoach-operated 5/5A Nexus services in Sunderland on commercially, after requesting passenger data for these services. Granted a lot of the passengers on these services around The Docks are elderly and have an ENCTS pass, but enough of those still adds up for the service to stand up on their own feet.
These services will never be high-profile and high-frequency routes, but they may get to a stage where they can turn a profit with a bit of a push.
You could argue that the onus isn’t on Nexus to promote and grow these services and as the local authority they are just maintaining socially necessary bus links, and that the onus is on bus operators (whether that be the existing operator running it under contract to Nexus, or an operator that wishes to take a punt).
Some of the Nexus services run through some very densely populated areas - some of them are areas where you’d expect high bus usage, council or those up to a certain value - although admittedly not all. It’s the type of the former where there’s probably more chance of something ever potentially being commercially viable.
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RE: Gateshead Central Taxis
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