(19 Apr 2022, 7:12 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Cam't see that happening.Quite right. The 317 is timed to connect with the ferry and any extension west of Wallsend would increase the probability of delays, missing the ferry connection. I would prefer to see the 317 terminating at the ferry and the section west of North Shields run as a separate service (the old 313 route). That's what we had for decades before GNE started messing about with this route.
The 317 takes approximately 53 minutes to get to Whitley Bay from Wallsend. The 12 takes over 30 minutes to get from Newcastle to Wallsend and the 40 takes approximately 25. That gives a running time of around 1hr 20 minutes to get from Newcastle to Whitley Bay using Stagecoach routes, irrespective of whether you have to change buses or not. It would take nigh on an hour just to get to North Shields alone. Now, there may be some masochists (or veg) out there who wish to take in a lengthy tour of Howdon and Holy Cross, but I reckon the majority will opt for the quickest route into town regardless of cost. Now you might argue, merging the services may open up links between Walker and Percy Main or wherever, but if there is a demand for such a link, bearing in my mind that neither Walker, Howdon nor Percy Main are bastions of employment (Royal Quays is dead nowadays too), a short extension to Walker would be the better option.
Also, merging services potentially creates problems with reliability. If there's an incident or heavy traffic in town which creates a delay in the service, it is users further on down the route who are going to bear the brunt of the inconvenience with late buses, or even buses being cancelled or regulated in extreme cases. This might deter passengers from using the service in future, perhaps creating an even bigger problem.
RE: Go North East: Service Suggestions v2