(25 Jan 2023, 8:08 pm)col87 wrote I said Teesflex wouldn’t and it hasn’t. They might actually be better off bringing the supported bus services back with routes to tender such as the 516 and H1 used to be. The problem is though the current TVCA won’t do that because Houchen has to much of a big echo and Tees flex allowed him to have special buses saying it’s from him which he wouldn’t get on normal service buses. 

They probably is a place for DRT but under the current it clearly is not working and the fact is even with an increase in taxi fares for a family it would still be cheaper to use one.

Personally they should open it up to anyone even within Stockton etc as long as there's not a commercial bus service doing the same route or close by.

For example if someone is going from Brotton to James Cook would it really be the end of the world if it picked a few punters up from Saltburn for example or it ends up being a shuttle service to Teesside Park, Portrack Lane shops or Tesco in Stockton from the numerous estates around Teesside as those places must be some of the most disconnected places around. Surely that's the purpose of it aswell?

Right now it's unsustainable imo there must be 20k potential customers max in the Darlington / Stockton zone.