I thought Hartlepool Borough Council's lesser known 'Hartlepool Explorer' service was controversial in that it was counter-productive in providing a decent bus service for the town.

Here's some context for the route & it's intentions:
http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/what-s-o...-1-7332861

And a timetable:
http://issuu.com/hartlepool/docs/hartlepool_express

And a picture of it in service, a solo or an enviro 300 were used:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thespian/2...otostream/

The intentions behind the bus were similar to that of the South Tyneside service operated by the H-BNL Olympian in that it would promote town folk to get out over summer and support local attractions/businesses.

Hartlepool Council have operated their own small fleet of full size buses for a few years primarily for schools and mobility services, though they are available for private hire. Putting 2 & 2 together it makes fiscal sense for the council to run the service themselves rather than put it out for tender; especially since the leader of the council and MP Ian Wright have been rather vocal on their dislike for Stagecoach.

Presumably to avoid the minefield of red tape involved in public authorities running registered bus services, the service was free. It just so happened however, the route also linked two major residential areas of Hartlepool with the Town Centre and Marina. Competing directly with Stagecoach's route 1 and 7. The Explorer even went via Navigation Point, something long called for by Stagecoach passengers. Now, many may say the explorer ran so infrequently it wouldn't really pull many Stagecoach passengers away. Never under estimate the willingness of a cost-savvy Northerner to save a few quid. I know a few people who used the explorer over the Stagecoach bus to get around.

Here is where the problem lies. Stagecoach have slashed services in Hartlepool from a varied and extensive network with core routes, secondary routes, works and scholars to what it is now. Just 5 simplified routes with a halved PVR and the last bus rolls back into the depot before 7pm most days. As the Explorer was being exploited by bargain hunters, patronage must have dipped for Stagecoach. All this does is give Stagecoach to reduce their services even more.

Should this happen, Hartlepool Council are not in a position to use their fleet to replace the routes with more free buses on a permanent; they'd be uproar from the taxpayers!! Have look at the comments of the Hartlepool Mail article for a cross-section of public opinion. Likewise, they have point blank refused to subside commercial services for the past six years and I can't see this changing. HBC's bus subsidy budget since 2010 has been *drumroll* £0.