(23 Aug 2021, 8:59 pm)GNE6312 wrote As a trial I'd suggest extending 1 run every hour on each of the Cobalt & coasts to metrocentre, these will create a bus every hour from Blyth, whitley Bay, Hadrian Park & North Shields to Metrocentre plus a bus every 15-25 minutes from battle hill & Coast road to Metrocentre. In Newcastle the Metrocentre journeys will not serve Haymaket towards Metrocentre however will serve Haymaket towards the coast road, from Newcastle buses towards Metrocentre will from St Mary's place will turn right onto barras Bridge, merge onto the A167 towards Gateshead St barras bridge, exit onto the exit for central station exit the roundabout onto the A186, turn left onto Dean Street and operate via quaysude ,Swing Bridge & The centre link serving all stops exept barras bridge. Buses will operate the same route towards Newcastle upto barras bridge in reverse serving all stops again before going straight at barras bridge into Haymaket then normal route from there.In theory, it would be welcomed but given the sheer numbee of GNE Newcastle - MetroCentre services plus the potential traffic issues, it's far easier to change buses.
With regards to the 1 now operating to Gateshead only, I'd be tempted now to extend it the other way towards Blyth (via Ridley Park) with a potential further extension to Cambois. Only trouble with a Cambois extension (if running via Cowpen etc) would be a number clash with Arriva's 1 unless GNE were willing to re-number back to 301?