(17 Oct 2024, 9:26 am)Storx wrote That misses the point of the 306 extension which isn't there to connect to Newcastle. It's there to connect Whitley Bay - Marden - Morrisons Tynemouth / Pool - Tynemouth
There's no bus services bar the 317 which is a detour to Morrisons from any of those points and Marden and Tynemouth don't have a link to a supermarket, at all, without the 306. Unless they travelled to Byker which is completely unreasonable.
The vast majority of people in Marden walk to Cullercoats Metro Station bar the few which are at the Morrisons end who probably deserve something better really but not at the cost of the 306. Personally I think another service from the North, ie the 57/57A should be extended through instead of the 306 with that terminating at Tynemouth again which would give links further North and to the beach from SE Northumberland, also terminating at Tynemouth.
To be honest, totally agree extending the 57/57A to Tynemouth and or North Shields.
But the 308/309 corridor including the 306 & 308 strongholds east of the A19 around Chirton & Billy Mill, have been crying out for an parallel express for a long time!
The 308 before COVID and excluding any SNCL Busways services (39, 40, 62, 63 etc) was presumably the most profitable in the North East after GoNE's 21.