(12 Nov 2014, 6:07 pm)Washingtonian wrote Hi All,
I was just wondering if anyone on here knows what sort of loadings the bus services in Birtley have both during the day and on a night in both directions? Each time I see services 82 and 83 coming into Washington from Birtley it looks as though there is hardly anyone on it. Each time I have seen them on a night they are practically empty. I am aware that service 23 gets decent loadings on parts of the routes but is empty on other parts. I was just wondering if this is the norm for these services or just when I see them. I'm just wondering if there is really any need to have so many buses serving Birtley if they have poor loadings. Also I wonder if there is really any need for Services 82 and 83 to serve Lambton and Ayton every 15 mins during the day? Lambton and Ayton are also served by service 50/50A every half hour and Lambton is also served by the 2C every 20 mins. I wonder if it would be worth just having the 82 and 83 serve Lambton and Ayton every 30 mins and have the 83 serve Rickleton and Harraton only instead of doubling back on itself to serve Lambton and Ayton. If this could be done it would help to provide a more direct service. Just a thought.
I see and use the services on a regular basis.
The loadings seem to be bitty - with very few using the route for the full route. They seem to use it in parts, with the Galleries/Savacentre and Concord the staging posts.
Between Barley Mow and Portmeads, you can be lucky to stop.
Ditto, between Birtley baths and Barley Mow club heading in the other direction.
There are people in those areas and apart from Vigo (that had only really ever seen the 23), they are areas which have seen bigger (and busier) buses through them for donkeys years.
There is obviously a reason that numbers are low...
At the risk of Malarkeys Lambton Mad Dogs on the case, I think it is over-served. Only by virtue of its location.
Glebe and Albany are just as fortunate.