(28 Oct 2023, 8:21 pm)Andreos1 wrote Well it is. Or certain routes are.
Probably a load more routes are viable too, if they existed and there was the commercial nous to do something about getting cars off the road (beyond tables and paint jobs).
The fact these buses are stuck in traffic, tells me there's more than enough people out there. Enough people to make the operators enough money to keep the shareholders happy.
530,000 people are living in County Durham alone.
345,000 in the Sunderland Council authority.
Almost 1 million people across just TWO conurbations dominated by GNE, yet they can't make any money...
Whack in another 200,000 in Gateshead, throw in a proportion of the population of Newcastle, North Tyneside and South Tyneside and it is pretty clear where the issue lies.
Wouldn't say GNE dominate Durham and Sunderland mind, Stagecoach dominate Sunderland imo, and Arriva dominate the stronger corridors in Durham, Peterlee to Durham for example.
Gateshead should be GNE's gold mine, they dominate the Metro Centre and they dominate corridors which should have rapid transport but don't. Areas like Low Fell, Birtley, Felling, the QE etc. should be some of the strongest corridors in the North East, similar to the Stagecoach Newcastle services. Instead we have one corridor with constant investment (Durham Road) and everywhere else is limping around with buses from London which are life expired.
Not to mention Washington is one of the largest towns without a rail service at all, yet the bus services towards other areas without changing after travelling in the wrong direction are non existent and that's if it isn't subsidised.
The state of some routes routes which used to be flagship routes; the 10, 27, 49, 51, 52, 56, 58, 93, 94 and 97 in particular is poor, nothing appealing about them to use them - if they bother to run at all. Most have had downgrades in recent times nevermind upgrades.