(21 Dec 2023, 4:09 pm)Rob44 wrote https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...e-28330586

Park and ride from metrocentre to newcastle announced

I see that the P&R is funded by BSIP!! Surely BUS SERVICE improvement plan has nothing to do with forcing people onto the same buses that need to be improved. These extra passengers won't even get any benefit from this as the journey times will more than triple while driving in the wrong direction to then pay £4 to travel the second part of the journey,  and the buses will get stuck in that traffic they have been told to avoid

In my opinion they could've gave money to Northern to provide an extra train an hour each way Heworth - Metrocentre only which can cope with the extra loads. Every 20 mins for a train from a P&R isn't bad and if you miss one its not too long or you have the option of a variety of buses. They should have initiatives to want people to use public transport not the opposite. As most will not bother and go to more local shops or the Metrocentre. They should have at least one more P&R situated actually South of the Tyne Bridge. (Trains don't get stuck in road traffic and are generally reliable and simple to use)

And I've heard enthusiasts on here before be laughed at for coming up with cross Tyne connections on buses yet we've seen the abandonment of the long lasting Tyne Tunnel connections and city link 57/58 (from GNE) and 6/7 frequency to the Metrocentre (from SNE) halved within 4 years. And these companies say people aren't travelling so they're not viable. There are so many areas that are not near the metro that cannot go where they need to be if it is across the Tyne (besides the City Centre). However most cars pass over the bridge and continue over the Coast Road, A167 & Great North Road (I wonder where they are going? Would they switch if a bus went there ? We will never know because public transport (at every level) is run by people who drive cars and have no intention to switch. There they are just managing the books only caring about money.

Rant over, thanks for listening to my TED Talk