Rather than throwing money at all these secured Micky Mouse services, some of which only turn up once an hour and are off no use unless dependant.......is better bus / metro integration with local and major routes not the way forward? Seamless ticketing and guaranteed connections. Obviously would never work under the existing private / secured service model.....but bigger picture needs looked at.

Fine example.....308 / 309 in North Tyneside.......passengers ride through to Northumberland Park instead and straight onto Metro....route lengths cut down, more connections and useful links created rather than just another bus along the Coast Road to Newcastle running late as **** some days and sitting in all that traffic. Not saying to scrap them by any means yeah? But just a prime example