(17 Sep 2021, 7:11 am)Storx wrote Personally I don't see the issue with the 24. There won't be many people going from Durham to Hartlepool throughout and unless the whole villages get on in Ludworth etc then there's no demand for a quicker service really. In a similar way there won't be many people going from Blackhall to Durham.Granted, the villages between Durham and Peterlee probably do have a lower population than Oakerside. But I'm not sure that means our transport needs should be disregarded and think ourselves lucky we have a service. Judging by Arriva's timetables and ticketing options, I'm apparently supposed to want to travel to Durham - a journey I only ever make if I absolutely have to and usually by car because it's generally impracticle to use the bus for the reasons I go in that direction.
imo. it's more for serving.
Oakeside - Durham
Oakeside - Peterlee
Shotton Collery and all the villages inbetween service - Durham
Peterlee - Hartlepool
Shotton Collery and Durham have a quicker service on the 22 to Peterlee so it's only the 4 small villages Sherburn, Shadwell, Ludworth and Haswell and there's probably 5k between them (in other areas of the country they wouldn't have a service at all especially on evenings and Sundays).
You could bring that 25 back, but the 24 wouldn't be running in the evenings so that's the compromise and the estates of Peterlee, which there's more passengers anyway wouldn't have a direct service to Hartlepool.
When I was still youthful, the 241 ran hourly Durham - Hartlepool via Oakerside, the 242 ran hourly Durham - Hartlepool via Haswell and the 243 was the hourly evening and Sunday route that served both. If I'd lived in Ludworth in those days, I'd have always opted for the 242 where possible and be more inclined to catch a bus to Peterlee or Hartlepool than I am now. Weather and time dependant, I'm far more inclined to walk the hour and a half to Peterlee, the 4 hours to Hartlepool or 20 minutes to Thornley for the 57. I don't expect Arriva or anyone else to lay on a service purely for me. So I'm quite content on using the car. Under current timetable and ticketing options, my 15 year old diesel Volvo is always going to be option number 1.