(17 Apr 2024, 10:16 am)Storx wrote See personally, I think the 308 should terminate short at Whitley Bay, it's really not needed beyond there. The X7 is the express route pretty much. What is needed though is better Metro links, like personally, I'd look at curtailing the 351 short so it's Whitley Bay to Holystone only, and upping the thing considerable say every 15/20 minutes and use the Metro links instead, you could make a similar case for the 359 aswell and scrap the 354 through to Newcastle.

There's too many buses avoiding Metro stations and going magical on a mystery tour to Newcastle but unless the services are frequent enough, people won't change as it's too risky changing onto an hourly bus, even every 30 minutes is touch and go.

There's no need for a million buses heading to Newcastle imo and it's not unique to this area either. The X46 and Q3 are two other prime examples with the Regent Centre on the doorstep. You could even go further and do the 44/45 aswell, heading from the Grainger Market, it's actually quicker to change already anyway by the time you trundle through to Haymarket.

I'd disagree there. It's far easier getting the bus direct to Newcastle than having to change at Regent Centre when using the 44 or 45. I use the bus to work every day at the moment. If I had to change at Regent Centre, walk down to the Metro and wait for that to turn up to take me to town, I'd likely just take the car instead.

It makes sense for longer journeys where the Metro is far quicker than the likes of the 308. But for short journeys it is inconvenient and will drive people away.