(16 Jan 2022, 4:04 am)OrangeArrow49 wrote I think certain areas should have certain operators
Newcastle - Go North East with Stagecoach links between areas (independent operators from West Newcastle - A-Line, Phoenix, Henry Cooper and Peter Hogg for long distance links to Newcastle, big three operators in Gosforth/Great Park/Kingston Park and the Hexham services as now)
Gateshead - Go North East (Stagecoach X24/X34 serving Gateshead for South Shields and Sunderland)
North Tyneside - Stagecoach (Go North East Q3 in Wallsend, Arriva in Killingworth, Tynemouth, North Shields Whitley Bay and Blyth)
South Tyneside - Stagecoach
Sunderland - Go North East and Stagecoach
Durham - Go North East (Stanley Travel for local services in Stanley, Weardale for Consett)
Northumberland - Arriva (GNE 74/684 and the Arriva/Stagecoach 685)
Gateshead Central Taxis, Henry Cooper and JH Coaches for contracted services. Weardale for scholars.
The better option imo is making operators irrelevant and all you need to do is sort out ticketing.
The bus companies should come together and come with a set of prices which they all follow with one day ticket between the whole lot and a set of zones which all operators follow. Then get arid of all single operator tickets (corridor tickets still allowed).
Now whoever is running them is irrelevant and the competition element doesn't really exist anymore since they compliment each other instead.