(02 Sep 2021, 5:03 pm)Dan wrote The 6 and 12 interwork so that drivers can be relieved at Metrocentre, where there are meal relief facilities. The 6 was also unreliable when it ran standalone (although the service is obviously being changed in September so that may no longer be the case).
It is incredibly costly to have vans running back and forth between Blaydon and Metrocentre for drivers' meal breaks (for every relief you add 20 mins on - 10 for the driver coming off, and 10 for the driver going on). Whilst they could be standalone, and individually branded, it adds a lot of costs into the business. If that results in the service no longer turning as great a profit, it could lead to service reductions. I think it's best to keep these routes interworking if it prevents cuts being made.
Could the 12/12A not be revised to interwork with the 49/49A as an alternative? That way these two services could be given a Blaydon/Winlaton themed brand.