(25 Oct 2021, 6:01 pm)Andreos1 wrote DCC only secure it because GNE can't (or won't) make a commercial go of it. Whether it be the 238 or the 71 - they send a bus over the hill on an hourly frequency and somehow expect the population to come to it and grace the service with their presence.
Except they didn't and now DCC are having to bail them out.
If they made something of it and created a service which could flourish, DCC could maybe spend the money on something else.
I'd also argue that persevering as is with a Chester - Houghton service is as sensible as buying a boat load of igloos to sell to camels living in the Saraha.
Anything they try on that corridor needs to be different to what they're offering now. It might work with it being different. It's not going to work doing the same old over and over again. I'd have thought they'd have learned that now.
For me looking at the route of the 71 I think it would be best to cut it Houghton-Le-Spring as from getting on the service a few weeks back it's not commercially viable to run when those who are using it are concessionary pass holders, it might pick up the odd fare but I doubt it makes above £500 in a day with a PVR of 2.
Personally if I was DCC I would do the following and put it out to tender:
168/169 - Houghton-Le-Spring - Seaton Station - New Seaham Mill Inn - Northlea - Seaham Byron Place - Castlereagh Aged Miners - Spectrum Business Park - Dalton Park Outlet - Murton - Easington Lane - Hetton-Le-Hole - Peat Carr Estate - Hetton-Le-Hole Interchange - Hetton Park Estate - East Rainton - Rainton Bridge - Dairy Lane - Houghton-Le-Spring.
As for the main section of the 71 from Houghton-Le-Spring to Chester-Le-Street i'd merge this with the 28 have it run through to Newcastle, or you could keep the 71 as it is now and still merge with the 28 and have as one through service on an Hourly Basis.