(21 Feb 2022, 5:16 pm)Shrek wrote I think Labour might be spinning this just a little, but this has come from their petition to save North Tyneside buses.

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Thank You!
Thanks for signing our petition to stop the cuts to bus services in North Tyneside, as a result of the Conservative Government cuts to bus funding, and the private companies putting profits before passengers.

Over 2,000 of you sent a message to the Government and the bus companies telling them to stop the cuts to your services.

We've written to the Government and the bus companies letting them know how you feel.

We've also raised the issue in regional transport committees, and I wrote, as the chair of the Tyne and Wear Transport committee to Baroness Vere, the Conservative Transport Minister responsible for bus funding. You can see the Chronicles article on this here https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...MR82yYa0BU

I wanted to let you know some good news as a direct result of North Tyneside Labour councillors voting to increase funding to NEXUS by £750,000 we've managed to save some routes and replace other routes with services. This does not totally make up for the Conservative Government and private bus company cuts, but it does stop many bus deserts meaning many people have access to buses they wouldn’t if it was left to the Conservative Government.

The campaign does not stop here though, and we will continue pushing to try and secure every single service the Government is cutting. Please share this email and petition with family and friends asking them to sign up to save our buses https://saventbuses.co.uk/

Routes we've managed to save:

Service 19 - Route saved in its entirety and extended to serve other sections of the fish Quay.

Service 11 - Replaced with service 317 which will follow the 11 route between Whitley Bay and Howdon with the addition of ferry landing. From Howdon it will service Ridley Ave, Coniston Road, Churchill Street, Simonside, Archer Street, Holy Cross and then on to Wallsend.

Service 43/44 - Saved these routes have been added into the 43 route and all areas previously served will continue.

Service 53 - Saved the evening service with it additionally serving Cobalt business park.

Go North East service 1 - We've intervened to ensure there is still an evening service on the route between Whitley Bay and Newcastle.

311 - Evening services replaced with 310, meaning residents also get evening services direct to North Shields and continue with the City Centre link.

41/41A - Saved the Hadrian Park to Wallsend section of the route with the Howdon to Wallsend section served by previously mentioned 317.

Service 42 - Replaced with service 342. This new route will serve Wallsend - ASDA (omitting Hadrian Lodge) - Forest Hall - Killingworth - Burradon - Dudley - Seaton Burn - Wideopen - Hazlerigg - Kingston Park - Newbiggin Hall - Westerhope. The Hadrian Lodge section of the route will be replaced with additional services on the Arriva 52

57/57A - Saved evening services from cancellation.

Service 55 - Saved every evening service except for the Sunday evening services.

X8 - Evening services saved but with an earlier finishing time.

We have also managed to secure additional stops on some buses to ensure communities continue to be served by buses.

We will continue to lobby Government and bus companies to tell them to stop cuts to bus services. The changes we have made couldn't save all areas but it was like doing a job with one arm tied behind our back with the cuts from the Conservative Government and bus companies.

We will continue to explore funding for additional services.

Remember to forward this email on to friends and family asking them to sign our petition to save all of our buses https://saventbuses.co.uk/

Kind Regards

Councillor Carl Johnson

Deputy Mayor of North Tyneside

Chair of the Tyne and Wear Transport committee