(15 Oct 2021, 10:42 am)ian foster wrote All mercs except those on the connections 4 should have been withdrawn last year. Unfortunately  due to pandemic any proposals for new buses  was cancelled with the exception of the next batch of electric buses. Also with the proposed Newcastle clean air zone (now delayed till next year) any euro 6 emission bus was required for any service entering Newcastle so this meant Sunderland and County Durham areas had to lose out because of uncertainty over the future of bus travel. I would hope people are starting to  travel once more and once income starts to recover we will start once again to see investment in new buses hopefully many of them going to Sunderland and County Durham.

It was never intended for 'all' Citaros to be withdrawn last year, just some of them. That still remains to be the case once repaints and re-allocations are completed, with the eldest Citaros, 5275 - 5283, 5337/38 and 5481 - 5487, all planned for withdrawal. In addition to all those that went to Go North West last year, some of these have already been withdrawn:

• 5275 (fire damage)
  
• 5277 
  
• 5280
  
• 5283
  
• 5337
  
• 5338 (fire damage)
  
• 5481 (scrap/spare parts donor)
  
• 5482 (scrap/spare parts donor)
  
• 5483 (scrap/spare parts donor)
  
• 5485 (scrap/spare parts donor)
  
• 5487 (scrap/spare parts donor)
  

Buses are built and depreciated over a period of 12-15 years. The remaining Citaros are only 13 years old, therefore have an expected life of at least two years yet. The 07-plates are actually being withdrawn a year early (when new, they'd have expected to be withdrawn in 2022).