(15 Apr 2022, 10:50 am)Storx wrote Because the area is semi urban with lots of housing estates which are on dead ends or just plopped in the middle of nowhere with current very little / no bus service at all. It's all good wanting people to want to use public transport but telling people to walk 20 minutes every day or use a 2 hourly bus service to connect to a bus service is never going to work.

I'm not sure how much it's costing Nexus / Northumberland County Council but the cost of a DRT scheme can't be much more than the W1, W2, 19, 58, 317, 335, 342, 434, Morpeth locals just to name a few there's no doubt more I forgot about which arguably mostly would be better as a DRT. Not to mention the new rail line which is coming soon which some of the stations are going to be difficult to serve sensibly, Bebside in particular.

The biggest problem with a DRT though is getting people used to it as it's something new and unusual but if you can break that it'd be argubly better than what's around atm which is a about 10 buses daily carting around fresh air.

If marketed well though I could see it working well with the train, you go on an app pick which what train you want to get and the bus comes upto a set time before the train and picks you up near your door and drops you off with 10 minutes for the train coming, then the same the reverse. You get off the train and step straight on your DRT bus taking you the last mile. No pissing about walking or waiting 20 minutes for a normal bus to turn up (if there's one at all). 

There was a train franchise who used to work on the ECML who wanted to do that.
Lots of talk, lots of research. No end product unfortunately. 

I think there's potential in the idea. After all it's about looking at the bigger picture and the complete door to door journey (including the website, app and booking engine) - not just the short period of time your on board using a certain brand or product. 

The middle bit may be good. But if the bit before or at the end of the trip isn't pleasant, attractive or a positive experience...