(17 Aug 2021, 8:06 pm)Keeiajs wrote I understand how these changes can impact people, I know people they have impacted, but if that route is basically in the red a lot then sometimes especially in these times they won't be able to operate especially with how the services are these days.
Depends how you look at it though, one bus route in the red isn't the end of the world. For example let's take the 30 in Stanley. If 10 people use that bus and then connect to the X30 in Stanley then that's 10 passengers less on the X30 aswell so then that's at a loss aswell.
Another example could be now Peterlee with the loss of the 208 to Durham. Yes it might only have 10 passengers on but those 10 passengers on other days might only use the X6 to Sunderland or the X9 to Middlesbrough. Now without the link to Durham there's no purpose of using GNE and they'll just use Arriva instead aswell who offer all the links that they want further pushing the X6 into the red and it goes on, then you cut the X6 then local punters lose the quick link to Sunderland so that's more using the Arriva services. Next thing you know everything is making a loss and there's nothing left to cut.
I wouldn't be surprised if the likes of the Washington Locals, Little Coasters and 33, 38, 55 etc in Sunderland all barely make a profit (or make a loss) but they'll know that if they ditch them then the X1/2/4/8/50/78, 1/309/310/311 and 2/20/X20/35/39 would all take a massive hit as the punters will just choose Arriva or Stagecoach who offer better local links and also mostly offer the links of those services aswell which will put the whole network at a loss. Sadly every time there's network changes the same routes are fiddled around with which make them difficult to use for locals as one week it might exist, the next week it's gone which is no use when you rely on it for work. The routes around Silksworth, Howdon and the old 43/44 between Newcastle and Stanley have been particularly bad for that in recent times.