(04 May 2024, 7:06 am)DeltaMan wrote I was reading the manifesto of Kim McGuiness and one the things buried in there is a review of bus stops in the region to make them accessible to disabled people - A very noble aim.

Is this realistic though? There a load I can think of which are just a piece of hard standing and the geography means that is all that can be done. And then you have unmarked stops.

Are we inadvertently going to see the closure of some bus stops - which will actually reduce mobility?

(04 May 2024, 8:33 pm)d9817362 wrote Does anyone know what her bus brand will be called as I know "Angel Network" is her plans name but if she were to call the bus brand that surely the word Angel would have no meaning to the people of Northumberland...

(04 May 2024, 9:25 pm)deanmachine wrote Honestly, I can imagine it’s just going to be a cut and paste version of Manchester’s Bee Network, at least in urban areas, which is going to make it complicated with how rural a large part of the Mayoral zone is.

(04 May 2024, 9:36 pm)Storx wrote It won't work either considering there's absolutely no depot serving most of South West / South Durham. The whole network in Bishop Auckland, Sedgefield, Newton Aycliffe and Barnard Castle would effectively be depotless (other than the 6, 56 and X21) since they work from Darlington and Stockton and both depots are beyond the touch of them.

Northumberland isn't much better either since the independents all have work beyond tenders so they won't be too open to give up their depots either and Hexham is now an outstation of a depot miles away and not connected in any sensible way either.

(05 May 2024, 5:01 am)DeltaMan wrote I think that's a very good point about depots. I think it will be very interesting to see how they could make franchising work for rural areas in the North East. 

The only one I can think of north of Ashington is Borders Buses in Berwick, and there work is mainly cross border, and you'd assume out of scope of the Mayor. 

No doubt there will be yards owned by the council that could be used as outstations. Transport for Cornwall use council land to park buses overnight. But buses need fuel and heavy maintenance, so it needs to be thought out.

(05 May 2024, 12:17 pm)markydh wrote The Bee Network wasn’t introduced in one big overnight full swoop. It was done gradually, area by area. The same thing will happen here, so there will be more than enough time to iron out what will happen in the more rural locations and plenty of notice.

(05 May 2024, 12:52 pm)RMF1254 wrote We don’t know which model they are going to use yet. They might use a route by route system like London where you tender for each route. If that was to happen here then you may well get independents tendering for the route s they operate now. It will interesting to see what happens.

(05 May 2024, 12:52 pm)RMF1254 wrote We don’t know which model they are going to use yet. They might use a route by route system like London where you tender for each route. If that was to happen here then you may well get independents tendering for the route s they operate now. It will interesting to see what happens.

(05 May 2024, 3:07 pm)Andreos1 wrote Or outsiders coming in. 

That would really shake it up.

(05 May 2024, 12:40 pm)Storx wrote It's a completely different network though, franchising in an urban area is simple as there's numerous depots overlapping each other so choice can be made. In comparison to here there's 2 depots in the whole of Co. Durham, to pick one area. There's numerous routes like the 1, 5, 7, 8, X75, X76 which are fully operated from depots outside the area and are arguably some of the most important routes in the area aswell.

Unless you're planning to build new depots then there's absolutely no where you can tender those from using the Bee Network model. Similar problems start with the X12 and X21 aswell, so unless your planning to double the size of Belmont or build multiple new depots then something needs to change otherwise there won't be any competitive tendering using the current depots as Arriva will be the only people who can operate them and will just charge whatever they want, otherwise you're going to have to let them run them commercially which then defeats the point of it if half the network in SE Durham isn't franchised.

(04 May 2024, 8:33 pm)d9817362 wrote Does anyone know what her bus brand will be called as I know "Angel Network" is her plans name but if she were to call the bus brand that surely the word Angel would have no meaning to the people of Northumberland...

(06 May 2024, 7:57 am)DaveFromUpNorth wrote I would be in favour of route by route

It means we can still have a say and complain to an extent.

We also have a risk that GCT could say run 50 routes ???

We could also see ideas like the "superloop" introduced

We could also see later buses in rural areas.

We could also see depots close or merge or make super depots. Personally I would close Blyth and Ashington depot and build a bigger depot say at Moor Farm Roundabout /Cramlington area.

This would then mean buses a shift and change last buses terminus points but realistic a good central point for say Arriva to operate from.
15mins to Ashington
10 mins to blyth
10 mins cramlington
15 mins to Morpeth
20 mins to Newcastle City Centre
5 minutes from Cramlington Hospital (key factor)
Yeah it would be a shakeup but it also means direct routes could be created to serve a specific spot  then travel light back to the depot.

Cramlington town Centre to Cramlington Hospital then to Blyth Town Centre 

This would give an option to run dead milage from these two areas before going off.

Same as a Morpeth -Ashington - cramlington town centre - cramlington Hospital

Newcastle Northumberland Park  Killingworth - Cramlington Hospital

Wallsend Metro Silverlink/Cobalt Northumberland Park Metro (gives a quick direct link between the two metro lines) Killingworth Bus Station then A19 up to to Cramlington Hospital

All these services then mean the services will run with reduced dead milage

Why make cramlington Hospital a hub with different services from North of the Tyne and Northumberland?  Easy the Hospital is the key one that everyone gets sent to but Noone knows how to get to it by bus

Eg. RVI is Newcastle City centre really

Freeman quite a few services people recognise

Coast road buses 309 for rake lane  QE  number of services pass  even Sunderland royal quite a few regional services all pass but I couldn't tell you how to get to Cramlington Hospital by bus.

It could also be an advantage and quicker link to get to Northumberland too

Creating the vision  is what is needed.

There would also be nothing stopping changing routes especially last buses this bus operates to Cramlington Hospital

(06 May 2024, 10:16 am)DaveFromUpNorth wrote Problem is Bebside ashington and cramlington  and the new line all need an express bus to create competition also

(07 May 2024, 8:03 am)L469 YVK wrote Think the big things that need taken into account if we get the opportunity:

- Bus / metro integration for the areas that currently have 'mickey mouse' services paid for by the taxpayer (351 etc) and instead, provide seamless bus / metro integration with contactless payments and early to late service....as long as integration is guaranteed.

- Bus / metro integration for areas and routes facing increasing congestion issues or needless overbussing (i.e 308 & 309 around East North Tyneside, endless Cross River services that just terminate in Newcastle and don't go beyond)

(07 May 2024, 9:26 am)Storx wrote Disagree with terminating buses short at Gateshead. Bus / metro integration only really works if the vast majority of the journey is on the mass transit. Forcing someone to sit on a bus for 30 minutes to drop them off short by 5 minutes before the end of the journey is just frustrating and isn't good integration.

The only two routes which could be done are the 27 and 57 imo as both have an integration at Heworth and the unique sections have the 58 nearby anyway.