(17 May 2021, 11:29 pm)Storx wrote I know it's never going to happen but if Covid did impact bus services badly.
I'd love to see GNE and Stagecoach work together and see a depot swap with Percy Main going to Stagecoach and South Shields going to GNE with the Q3 going to Stagecoach and the X34 and Western side of the 1 in return going to GNE. E's unsure who'd be better having it - not sure which end is busier.
There's way too much competition in North Tyneside and South Tyneside and merging some corridors would massively help matters especially with the Wallsend / Howdon services being under GNE, Gosforth being all Stagecoach / Arriva and the 42/42A not sticking out like a sore thumb.
Similar in South Shields it would help being able to merge Jarrow services with their respective South Shields routes and bridge connections which don't exist atm as there's 2 operators plus the Metro fighting for a small pool of passengers. You'd be much better with only GNE and letting them built a network with ASDA Boldon and Jarrow acting as hubs with South Shields.
The last thing we need is more express services to Cramlington and to the coast though by Stagecoach.
I totally agree with you there is way too much competition especially in North Tyneside. With Arriva, GNE, Metro and Stagecoach (more recently). I would definitely give the Q3 to stagecoach as its basically all areas covered by Stagecoach. Stagecoach are slowly creeping in on North Tyneside with 22, 1 and 10/11 (from Jarrow).
I don't know much about South Tyneside as I'm from Newcastle so I wouldn't touch it.
If Stagecoach acquired 42/42A then that gives more links, as well as then Arriva's 43/44/45 may as well be Stagecoach's as well because 42 to Cramlington with 43, 42a to Dinnington like 44,45.