I don’t think anyone is promoting job losses but we have to be realistic in how we got here and where we go from here, we probably should fund public transport in a better way, but it doesn’t win votes so we won’t. It’s too easy to push this whole thing on covid, it’s not just Covid. Covid exposed frailties for sure but we’ve been creaking at the seams in GNE terms for years. Private companies have done alright out of the network for a long time, it can’t be one way anymore.

The GNE network and branding has been so scattergun, even the flagship routes. Look at the 21 in the last 25 odd years. We’ve had: 221, Classicliner 21, 21-24/7, pink Angel ,red Angel, panicked pink deckers Angel again, hybrid green and newer green. You don’t see the same chaotic approach at Arriva and GNE (and this is on a route aside an hourly X12 they hold a monopoly on)

Even the ticketing has had so many changes and tweaks and gimmicks where SNE have…dayrider/mega rider. The zones make no sense. A purple zone carries you from barley mow/Birtley to Blyth and Ashington but not to Chester le St where you might want to go shopping or socialise