(21 Feb 2022, 11:11 am)streetdeckfan wrote Maybe it's just me, but I don't understand how people can complain about the hub and spoke model used by the likes of GNE and having to change buses, but then go on about how great it was having to change at Gateshead to the Metro to get to Newcastle.
For most people, you didn't. It's a myth that all buses used to terminate at Four Lane Ends, Heworth or Gateshead. Some did, mostly local services, or the predecessors to tbe likes of the 4 or 82 (or whatever), but you were able to travel into town from, say, Washington using express services (X4, X5, X94) much like you were now. Likewise, you could travel from much of North Tyneside into Newcastle using the 356 (or 354/355 as it was numbered previous to that) - and, of course, the Coast Road services have always been there. As for Gateshead, Durham Road and Old Durham Road had services into Newcastle with longer-distance services providing that conduit, as did Bensham and Saltwell.