(04 Jan 2020, 6:13 pm)ifm001 wrote Although I hate the thought of Newcastle bound buses being truncated at metro stations as opposed to continuing on to the City Centre as I detested this back in the day.
This could be achieved with something similar to the free metroshuttles that operate in Manchester. The 1 and 2.
Example could be free shuttle 1 Heworth, Gateshead. Eldon Square, Haymarket.
Free shuttle 2 Regent Centre, Gosforth High Street, Haymarket. Central Station, Gateshead.
This would give the Gateshead to Haymarket corridor 2 separate free shuttles. Yes buses would still be entering Newcastle City Centre but not at the current amount of vehicles.
It works in Manchester doesn't it? Could it work here?
I think free shuttles would be a great idea - how does this work in Manchester? Who is going to operate/fund the free shuttles?
I think reducing the number of vehicles into the City Centre is a good idea, and certainly achievable. Bus operators would lose revenue on services along those corridors, but it could work. Services could terminate at Gateshead, with shuttles linking Gateshead with Newcastle and the West End, like Regent Centre & Gosforth. A number of bus services would still need to exist, such as Stagecoach expresses and services passing through, such as the 12 and 39/40 to Walker/Wallsend and 62/63 to Killingworth. There would still be a number of buses in town, but far less.