In regard to the changes to the 1/24/24a, we can simply compare the consultation results and justifications made by GNE when the service was split circa Nov 2011.
Here's the section of the bus briefing concerning the 1/24/24a
Coaster 1 and 2
The Coaster service will be shortened to run between Gateshead, Newcastle City Centre, Byker, Wallsend, North Shields and Whitley Bay. All journeys will run as service 1 and there will be no changes to the existing route between Gateshead and Whitley Bay.
Buses will run every 15 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes and every 30 minutes in the evening. Later evening buses will run between Newcastle City Centre and North Shields only.
South of Gateshead, the current Coaster services will be replaced by the new Angel 24, the revised Waggonway 28A and the Nexus 29.
Full details of through ticketing options for customers who wish to change on to the new Coaster service 1 to travel beyond Newcastle city centre will be published on line and in the new Angel 24 timetable.
New Angel 24
The new Angel service 24 will run between Newcastle, Gateshead, Low Fell and Wrekenton. It will replace the Coaster service 2 along this route.
Wrekenton will benefit from a more frequent and reliable service, as the Angel 24 will run every 10 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes. The 24 will also combine with the Angel 21 to provide a co-ordinated 5-minute frequency service between Newcastle, Gateshead and Low Fell.
In the early evening and on Sundays, buses will run every 20 minutes. In the late evening, buses will run every 30 minutes. At these times, one bus per hour will run as service 24A and will operate from Low Fell to Kibblesworth and will not serve Wrekenton.
The new Angel 24 will adopt the well recognised pink livery, while the Angel 21 will sport a new red version of the brand making both services easy to recognise.
Regular travellers can save money with the Angel Weekly Saver ticket. Priced at £15, this will give unlimited travel on Angel services 21 and 24.
And here's the consultations results:
Coaster and the Waggonway – 1/2 and 28/28A
- 81%of people didn’t care about our plan to shorten the Coaster route at the same time as we increase our Angel frequency between Low Fell, Gateshead and Newcastle. 12%were ‘in favour’ or ‘strongly in favour of this, while 7%were ‘against’ or ‘strongly against’ it.
- Customers in Kibblesworth said that it is most important to have direct bus links with Gateshead, Newcastle and Low Fell. Birtley, Chester-le-Street and Bensham were seen as less important for direct links.
- 41%of respondents were ‘against’ or ‘strongly against’ our plan to divert the 28/28A via Kibblesworth. 28%were ‘in favour’ or ‘strongly in favour’ of this. 36% said they didn’t care.
Several other comments were made in the consultation, although not in response to specific questions. There were four particular themes, as follows: - Concerns that any diversion to the 28/28A will increase journey times for people travelling between Ouston and Newcastle.
- Concerns about losing a direct bus link between Kibblesworth and Low Fell.
- Requests to reduce the journey time between Kibblesworth, Gateshead and Newcastle.
- Requests for early morning Angel buses to run to a better timetable to allow people to get to work in Newcastle for 0600.
We are very pleased about the positive response to the majority of our ideas. We are currently finalising plans for these services, taking into account all of the responses to the consultation and the additional concerns that have been raised.
(Quick suggestion: maybe a GNE Consultation section should be added to the bygone era to ensure that these results are not lost forever?)
