(16 Jul 2023, 9:44 pm)Andreos1 wrote I've done the O2 to Embankment before. Purely from a tourist perspective and you're right, there are many quicker journeys.
However, other than peak, I don't think there's any/many express services. 

However, I think you're comparing apples and pears. 
London has a fantastic public transport system compared to what we have up here. 
There are many alternatives, depending on need. 

However, they've also got bridges. 
They've also got high levels of pollution and are expanding the public transport offering, along with emissions/congestion charging. 

The bridges you mention across the Tyne, are struggling to cope with traffic. 
Buses are getting stuck. Cars are getting stuck. 
One of them is so knackered - they made it one way and removed the ability to cross it going north. 
They're also consistently appearing in the lists of pollution hot-spots. 

I've lost count how much money has been chucked at bus priority measures.
I've lost count how many times we've seen roads narrowed and bus lanes squeezed in. 

I doubt many will be travelling from Blaydon to South Shields. 
I do reckon there will be many doing short-hops, maybe two or three landing stations and probably passing a 10 stuck in traffic around the Metrocentre or crawling over the Redheugh Bridge though.
Maybe even going to places on one riverbus, that would take 2 or 3 buses.

I'd also hazard a guess that all those people living in the new houses on Smiths Dock, are getting stuck in the tunnel or going the long-way round on the way to work too.
East of Gateshead, you're looking at potential landing spots not far (short walk or a quick bus ride) from several metro stations (Bill Quay/Pelaw, St Peters Basin/Byker, Hebburn, Wallsend, Jarrow, Willington Quay... 

The Tyne is sitting there totally underutilised, whilst everything alongside it, under it or over it is struggling.

When it comes to public transport and infrastructure, I look at some of the European cities and am constantly amazed at how far ahead they are of us. Toto on the Amsterdam trams for example. It's been in place for donkeys years. 
Then look at the Dutch and how they're using their waterways successfully. Making the most of the resource that's there and not finding the long way around or over it like we do here.

I'd say one of the biggest problems with Riverboats here is we have an adverse idea of building houses near the thing and it's mainly parks and/or industrial whereas the likes of London and the European cities are all residential right upto the river. Other than Smith Docks, Newcastle / Gateshead Quays and around Dunston Staiths there's not really anything of note on the whole length without a substantial walk.

You have to remember there's the foot tunnel and that's dead most the time which might have it's refurb finished sometime in the 21st century.