(17 Sep 2021, 7:11 am)Storx wrote Personally I don't see the issue with the 24. There won't be many people going from Durham to Hartlepool throughout and unless the whole villages get on in Ludworth etc then there's no demand for a quicker service really. In a similar way there won't be many people going from Blackhall to Durham.
imo. it's more for serving.
Oakeside - Durham
Oakeside - Peterlee
Shotton Collery and all the villages inbetween service - Durham
Peterlee - Hartlepool
Shotton Collery and Durham have a quicker service on the 22 to Peterlee so it's only the 4 small villages Sherburn, Shadwell, Ludworth and Haswell and there's probably 5k between them (in other areas of the country they wouldn't have a service at all especially on evenings and Sundays).
You could bring that 25 back, but the 24 wouldn't be running in the evenings so that's the compromise and the estates of Peterlee, which there's more passengers anyway wouldn't have a direct service to Hartlepool.
I think it’s all about perception to a certain extent, I’ve done the 24 route years back from Durham to Horden - and it felt pretty direct until it got to Peterlee Moorcock then we did an approx. 15 minute tour of housing estates in Peterlee and it just felt such a long winded route. We ended up with an added 10-15 minutes onto the journey and came out just a little bit further down Burnhope Way, a journey that would have been 2 minutes just running direct past the college. I agree Oakerside should be served, but I suppose at the minute do you put off anyone who may want to use it long distance to go from Blackhall to Durham or Ludworth to Hartlepool because actually it just feel it takes forever.
On a wider note and a general observation from across the forum, I’m not sure if I like the whole attitude of “people should be grateful because the alternative is no service” so whatever the issues maybe the buses take too long, they don’t go where people want them to go etc. but hey be grateful it’s that or nothing as you’re a small village/estate whom doesn’t deserve decent bus services. Very low standards, as if the public should just get on with on below par services. Do we also suggest a small town shouldn’t complain about their only main supermarket because it’s that or nothing. No one else is going to open in this town as there isn’t any demand, so use the one with bad customer service and long queues because it’s all you’re going to get.