These comments probably aren't fair or polite but here's where I think the problems occur with the Darlington 5/5A.

I don't believe there is enough running time on the service between Bishop Auckland and Newton Aycliffe especially between Bishop Auckland and Shildon in this direction as it will often leave Bishop Auckland Bus Station on-time then will be around 5 minutes late by the time it gets round mine.

This isn't the easiest route to get round especially with badly parked across various sections of the route and Henknowle Estate in Bishop Auckland is a pig to get round them traffic calming things and then at times you have to wait for things coming the other way.

Many of the passengers who use the 5/5A are elderly and aren't able to get up and sit down as fast as some of us can so this can hold the bus up. Also there often can be people with pushchairs getting on and there is only two spaces and once there gone there gone which means they either can't get on the bus or have to fold the pushchair up and if they choose the latter option this means the bus has to wait whilst this done.

An observation on this particular journey I am on now is when the bus pulls right up to the top of the bus stop at Newton Aycliffe Town Centre which it probably should do but often doesn't happen so when it does people have to walk from the shelter to where the bus pulls up and when it does happen they take their sweet time about it and when they do get on the bus they usually end whinging to the driver which also causes hold ups.

Most of you will probably think these aren't fair comments but I do think these are issues which are causing the service in question to run late and as a regular passenger of the service I think they are problems that need addressing.

Also I have noticed that new Bus stops and shelters have appeared near Hitachi on Aycliffe Ind Estate so I am wondering if there will be a route change through Aycliffe Ind Estate for the 5/5A or any other services in the near future?