(06 Aug 2021, 4:51 pm)Storx wrote I know it doesn't help the Western side of route but by what people are saying it seems to be rather quiet anyway and mostly duplicates the 78 anyway (bar the Houghton to Chester Le Street link). Wonder if it could be an option of working with Nexus and extending the 79 through to Seaham and just having a Barnwell - Seaham bus route additionally serving the new Tesco once it opens (if it does). Could be able to pull a few punters from Seaham who want to go to Tesco or the estates inbetween and at least it doesn't leave places without a bus route at all.
If you serve the new Tesco, you're going to end up missing a big chunk of the residential area out.
Agree that an alternative like the 79 (the 238 operated a similar route until last year) could work.
Can't be any worse than what seems like a deliberate managed decline of the 71.
That's all it can be. Surely?