(05 Aug 2021, 8:33 pm)Ambassador wrote Seems a fairly sensible set of changes. Numbers are never going to return to what they are, COVID has changed how we live and work forever.To me the Whitehall Road diversion of the 28A does make sense. Bensham Road already has ample bus services to Gateshead and Newcastle, and Whitehall Road only has the 29 and 67. I don't see the harm in giving them one extra bus an hour and a new direct link to Newcastle. It'll hardly make any difference to the journey time either.
The 5 day week is dead so it’s only right the industry adapts.
From a personal point of view.
925 ending not a surprise and was only ever a token gesture that never merited the bus,
28/28A changes finally mark the end of the illustrious 709/728 legacy. It’s not ideal for those in Pelton Fell but the new housing popping up around there isn’t encouraging public transport use. I’m confused as to why it’s moving out of Eldon Square though? Market Street is the arse end of town. Whitehall Road makes little sense either unless Bentham Bank is causing congestion issues
I’d have been tempted to run maybe a few 28s a day to Beamish fast via the A693 which might happen if the B1 doesn’t last. (Tif it’d be quicker than the B1)
Genuinely surprised at the X22 being upgraded and branded, Even pre pandemic I was normally one of a handful of passengers but it must do the business (or metro centre are incentivising)
Not sure I’d be entirely thrilled as 53/54 commuter to be diverted via the Quayside, spending more time in traffic on my game changing bus.
The withdrawal of the 925 was inevitable. It shows that the predictable outrage on Facebook whether changes happen is always overblown. The way people went on you'd think a massively in demand link had been withdrawn when they diverted the 25, but in reality the number of people actually affected was really small, as proved by the failure of the 925.
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