The whole basis of operating a bus service is that passengers will "turn up and go". Timetables have to be robust and be designed to work in all except exceptional circumstances. So you time your bus according to how long it takes to travel between main points on each route in average traffic conditions and picking up average passenger numbers. Then at each main point on the route it's given a couple of minutes recovery time and at the end of the route sufficient layover to allow driver to have a pee, or long enough to depart in time in case of delay; so probably 6 or 7 minutes on an hour plus journey. For example, the X21 which I use most often, should have a couple of minutes at Gateshead, Chester le Street and Durham. But it seems to struggle to keep on time even when it gets a good run and is rarely on time at those points. Same is true for the 20, and the 21 timetable just doesn't work, as again, even when they have a good run they don't have to wait time anywhere, showing that the timings are too tight. Smaller operators get hassle from the Traffic Commissioners if they don't keep to the timetables; big ones seem to get away with it. I accept that they won't get it right all the time as you can't cater for exceptional circumstances, but many of GNE's services are timed too tightly, whereas the Arriva buses I see around Bishop Auckland (X1, 1, 5, 56, 86 & 87) usually run well and seem adequately timed; the only exception is the ridiculous timetable of the 6 which is unreliable and the two buses an hour supposed to extend to Cockfield don't get that far all too often. Regulation, ie cancellation, of buses on less frequent extensions to routes such as Arriva's 6 West Auckland to Cockfield and GNE's 21 Chester to Durham is incompetent and unacceptable. Only the frequent, combined sections of routes should lose workings to try to regain the schedules.