(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.
In today's climate if the commercially run services into Birtley weren't making money...they wouldn't be running.
The 82/83 tend to get used in Birtley as a more local service as opposed to the whole route serving the North and Central end of Birtley (Portmeads etc) as well as Barley Mow as a link to the town centre (which will become more important once Morrisons opens at Easter 15)
Whilst Durham Road is well served other areas of Birtley aren't and Birtley is particularly hilly. Portmeads, Katergina etc are sheltered and elderly accomodation
The 23 is similar. The short runs from Barley Mow to The Crematorium are mainly for the local. Birtley has a very aged population and Elisabethville is nearly all elderly accommodation now as with large parts of Barley Mow.
So it's more a 'service' than a commercial need. Saying that I think the 23 could cope with going hourly.