(15 Sep 2021, 9:44 pm)Adrian wrote I'm not sure I understand the aim of the partnership, if I'm honest.

We're going from 'getting people out of their cars and onto buses' to 'getting people off our buses and into cars'. What's this doing to combat congestion, where buses are supposedly struggling from the lack of bus priority and private car use domination. 

I don't see what is in it for GNE either. I've just had a quick look on the Co Wheels website, and the nearest hire locations to me are Low Fell and Gateshead Town Centre. If I've bussed that far, then I can't foresee any reason why I'd alight to pay around £5.50 an hour to use a car. Especially when I've got to take it back to the same location. The majority of locations appear to be in the student areas of Newcastle, where there's already more than enough buses - plus the Metro.

Maybe there's another message behind it, but I'm not seeing it. It's almost a defeatist stance to public transport, highlighting its inadequacies.

I can sort of see it from both perspectives.

On one hand, it definitely does, like you say, look defeatist as they're basically promoting the use of a car.

But on the other hand, they could turn the promotion the other way round and target the sort of people that would normally use the likes of Co Wheels, and try and get them to use the bus.


I've also been trying to think of ways that, for someone like me, it would be useful.

I work from home, but occasionally have to nip up north into the office to pick things up (usually big batches of surveys etc.), and for something like that it would look attractive. I suppose it could also be handy for when we have to pick things up from clients, who's offices are rarely on a bus route (at least within a reasonable walking distance). Something like that would probably only take half an hour or so, so the cost would probably be on par, or cheaper than a taxi. 
I'd still have to traipse all the way back with them down to Bishop on the bus, but since I live a 2 minute walk from the bus stop, it wouldn't be any more difficult than carrying shopping.

Other than that, I can't really think of any reasons for me to personally use it.