(19 Dec 2013, 4:10 pm)RGR756V wrote This is exactly what happened when the 6 was increased to a 12 minute frequency. Two buses an hour were removed from Evenwood to stick an extra service in from Durham to West Auckland to compete with the X21 and OK1, yes the old 50 was extended to Evenwood via Ramshaw but people do not want to be carted all around Toft Hill and Witton to get to Bishop and not surprisingly it was binned in September. Now the two Cockfield buses get absolutely hammered and causes late running and bunching of the service.
And when the Cockfield 6's are late they often run back empty via A688, omitting Evenwood, (and sometimes even West Auckland going via by-pass). The 6 is an example of a timetable change which puts COMPETITION before SERVICE. Only a total idiot would extend two journeys per hour on a 12 min frequency, thus giving a 24 min / 36 min gap between Cockfield buses, with one of them laying over for 15 min at Hollymoor Road End.