(02 Aug 2020, 10:31 am)busmanT wrote From my observations, there aren't that many travelling to get any realistic feedback about being set down at Newgate Street. Of course, having been set down you go off to your destination quickly.
Being picked up is a different matter, having to arrive early and stand waiting for your bus. No seats and no shelter must put passengers off, especially the elderly - as will having to go upstairs on the coach.
It's not that many steps to get upstairs though is it, or at least not as bad as a regular decker, and are there not a few seats downstairs anyway for those who can't get up the stairs?
Plus, the fact the staircase is right beside the driver might stop them driving away whilst you're still on the stairs, which seems to be the main issue with older people.
I'd guess that the elderly who use the X9/X10 (which, tbh I haven't seen that many) would just travel to Gateshead and catch it from there instead. That's what I'd do anyway