(20 Apr 2021, 7:08 pm)mb134 wrote That isn't how a registered bus service works. I don't think people are "picking it to bits", they're simply baffled that a route, operated by a company who are usually pretty spot on with operational difficulties (i.e Twitter alerts for breakdowns), was allowed to miss out sections of the route for two days on the bounce as well as run ridiculously early.

Hasn't this already been explained (and seemingly ignored) though? 

Whilst it isn't being justified nor excused, I don't think it's baffling at all. It's been some confusion on the first weekend of operation and a driver trying to do right by his passengers, under the assumption (wrongly) that it could be treated like a coach service with drop-off points only on the return trip, when this isn't the case. It was seemingly picked up on by Go North East's Service Delivery Centre (as we can see the driver waited time at Peterlee on Sunday) and we can assume it won't happen again this weekend. If it does, then it's a different discussion we'll be having.

I think it's very unlikely any passengers were actually inconvenienced, but, as Storx has pointed out already, this discussion is only taking place because there has been discussion elsewhere on the forum about similar things happening on routes (serving a completely different purpose) operated by other bus companies, and the tracking information is open for all us enthusiasts to see online because Go North East meet the BODS requirements for tracking data.