(12 Feb 2023, 6:02 pm)MurdnunoC wrote It was more or less the same when I attended school in the early-mid 90s. Although it didn't apply to me as I lived within walking distance of the school, pupils were issued with a red bus pass which permitted travel between two points (School and, for example, Whickham, Rowlands Gill, Ryton, Dunston, Chopwell etc.) within specific time-windows before and after school.

Like you, I knew of pupils who opted not to use the school bus for whatever reason, and travelled to Metrocentre before transferring onto another service. As far as I'm aware, nobody was ever refused travel for doing this.

My eldest sometimes does this.  Quite a few do from what I can gather.   Thorpe to Blaydon, a mooch around and then up to Winlaton.  His record is 3 buses home.

Don't think he's ever been challenged by a driver either.