(23 Sep 2014, 8:17 pm)aureolin wrote I don't know the area around East Durham much at all, but I'd think anything they're running into Sunderland would perhaps suffer from the same problem as the X2 down Durham Road.
We know the passenger flow on Durham Road is thick and fast, and also that there's a massive gulf between what you'd see in the figures for the 21 and for the X2. Problem with the X2 though, is that between Pity Me and Eldon Square, there is not a single other Arriva connection in sight. Some 50 minutes of travel time, with god knows how many stops.
If there were say a few local services in Chester, a few in Gateshead, and the odd connection to Washington? Probably a completely different story.
That being said, it doesn't cater for drivers not knowing the product, and it's a disgrace that this is still being mentioned on here. It must have been at least a year ago since Dan first complained to Arriva. If you're not going to look after your customers, then another operator will be more than willing to.
You're right, and that's why I've always aspired that Arriva would take the commercial risk to divulge into operating more services in the Sunderland area, but it's probably just a case of finding something that hasn't already been covered by other companies.
I've said it before and I'll say it again - there's not much left in Sunderland to do (in my opinion). Stagecoach's cross-city services are all very much similar in the way they operate, and they cover a vast amount of the city, whilst Go North East's services primarily branch off out of Sunderland, covering other areas in the process. As someone who lives in Sunderland, who travels on buses and Metros, I have to say I couldn't be any happier with the service provided. I have the ability to travel (on weekdays) from 5am onwards, all the way through to about 00:15am in the morning, and I have the option of using night buses on top of that. Granted, this isn't the case for everyone in Sunderland, but anyone who lives within close proximity of the City Centre cannot complain.
What's left to take? I know if Malarkey was working for Arriva, he'd find something, but I really am struggling...