(20 Feb 2020, 7:49 pm)Storx wrote I'm not sure if this has been done before but surely a way to get around this issue is to upgrade two routes. One bus route which is borderline requires single / deckers capacity and the X93.

Then buy a fleet of DD's and a fleet of singles then just swap them around between the two routes. Maybe the 7. In the winter months have the single fleet on the X93 where the capacity isnt need and the DD fleet on the 7 where traditionally buses are more busy as everyone is working plus christmas shopping etc. Then in the summer take some of the DD's off the 7 and replace them with the singles on the X93 where the X93 is busier with people going on holiday and the seaside whereas the 7 is generally quieter due to the school holidays, bank holidays etc.

Seems the most sensible route rather than wasting deckers all year around on the X93 all year round bar the logistical nightmare. I would've picked a Stockton or Redcar route but don't believe anything there warrants deckers.

The Darlington 7 is pretty busy all year round so not the best of solutions, if anything I would actually like to see the 7 get a full double deck allocation during the daytime, one of the two Belmont boards is now booked for a decker on weekdays after I addressed issues with capacity including the morning run to Framwellgate Moor for New College students, deckers certainly required in September when the college year begins with the 5A also usually requiring a decker for the morning Bishop Auckland College run for at least the first month, 7 has been quite busy this week with the schools being off.