(28 May 2022, 11:52 pm)omnicity4659 wrote I've driven back from Newcastle during Friday and Saturday nights, the Spine Road is heaving with taxis until around 3am...
Definitely a case for some after midnight departures as that's when those in Newcastle are prepared to leave, not 20 mins after the traditional departure. GNE may have seen this trend on the N21 and 56?
I was thinking of separate night bus routes that merge daytime ones together, so starting from Central Station, pick up at the Gate, and again at Barras Bridge before running X11 route up to Shankhouse, running to Bedlington then doing the X22 through to Ashington then X21 route to the Elephant. Perhaps continue to drop people off until North Seaton roundabout before running dead back to Newcastle to do it again...
I believe the local authorities want the 308 to run all night in the future too.
The problem with those routes is there's nothing in between and nothing at the other end so they'll have to run empty.
The 56 and N21 are different as they both have cities at both ends which get loads then with the 56, Concord in the middle which is a drinking spot and Nissan with some workers and with the N21 has the Fell and CLS which both are popular drinking spots.
When you're pissed at 3am the last thing anyone will want to do is go trail onto a bus, it's much easier to get into the nearest taxi and get home. When your pissed money means nothing hence why the Stagecoach N1 and the one via Jesmond failed miserably.
The night buses which are badly needed North of the Tyne are routes which follow the route of the Metro imo. I know the 22 was a planned extended to Tynemouth but there's nothing for Whitley Bay to Newcastle via Four Lane Ends and it's the busiest part of the Metro.
Imo there should be a route something like: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/54.977...59!1m0!3e0
which serves the core of the Yellow Line.
The 43 to Blyth as an extension from Cramlington maybe would have a chance aswell additionally serving Jesmond but I'm not sure how well it would do, the X10 skipping the Great North Road doesn't make sense though so there's a semi frequent route to Jesmond for students.