(15 Jan 2022, 2:36 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote Exactly, that's all I was saying. Integrated tickets for an integrated timetable is just obvious. An hourly service is difficult to work around.

I don't disagree that integrated tickets would be the best option, just in your original post you said you 'couldn't see the point' in coordinating them. It's a step in the right direction at least, albeit certainly not as far as they could go with it. 

(15 Jan 2022, 3:30 pm)L469 YVK wrote If Arriva's new "electric / minibus hub" becomes a reality, could GNE not do a deal with Arriva by giving the North Tyneside minibus network to Arriva (bar the 19) in return for getting joint operation of the 685?

Would kill two birds with a stone as the local minibus services would better fill Arriva's strategy whereas they'd offload the 685 and allow GNE to jointly run it from Hexham depot.

You would hope that the bus service improvement plan might look at shimmying round a few services between operators. Personally though, I think it would make more sense for Stagecoach to operate the 685 in full rather than it being a joint operation.