(22 Feb 2023, 8:22 pm)Jimmi wrote Seems to be a thing local councillors and MPs seem to think we want right now, our local MP tried to get Newton Aycliffe a "Bus Interchange" in the levelling up fund but was unsuccessful, stupid idea anyway considering no-one wants to shop here and no company wants to open any shops here because the company which owns the town centre are practically charging London rates on rent and it wasn't like you could interchange between services anyway when they all run in tandem more or less to/from Darlington. Thing we actually want is more car parking as since the multistorey got condemned (which is where the "interchange" was planned to be) parking spaces have been hard to come by since.

With regards to replacing much of Bishop Auckland Bus Station with car parking, considering car usage is on the rise, may as well use the excess space as its mostly just wasted with space between some stands and others barely in use anymore.

Yeah totally agreed, like I could understand if it's actually places you could interchange with other models but like Newton Aycliffe is anyone really going to be changing there most services are direct now.

North Shields bus station is questionable aswell, I'm not really sure who's going to use that. I know they'll use the Metro reference but I can't think of anyone where it would actually make sense to interchange there for it without doubling back or using a bus to do the whole journey instead and no-one goes to North Shields as there's nothing there either.

Didn't realise the rents were that bad at Aycliffe, but it isn't half dead that place aswell tbh. Sad sight all of them really. Mind I'm not sure Bishop Auckland needs parking either, there's plenty of it and most of it carries fresh air. I know it would be quite a walk to the centre but it's a shame no-one though it might have been a good idea to have the interchange with the railway so it actually has a purpose but then again buses and rail aren't meant to be used together in England.