(25 Feb 2023, 9:39 pm)Rapidsnap wrote The thing about Percy Main depot is that it's location is handy for throwing out extra buses for the Ferry Terminal work whether it's the 327 or cruise liners. It would probably only take around 15 minutes to prep a bus and send it down the International Ferry Terminal. Also the fact that a lot of the North Tyneside School Runs use vehicles that don't meet the Newcastle emission zone at the moment, so if it was ran from Riverside, then the buses would have to go a roundabout route to avoid the zone or pay the charge.

Was looking at the map last night, and an ideal place would be next door to the Howdon Metro depot. No houses to cause any issues with regarding vehicle movements and noise, easy access from the main roads.

Believe the ex London B9's are heading to Riverside so they will be all Euro 6 soon. Depending on whether it costs for buses to use the tunnel, I know there's an exemption for buses in local service but not sure if it includes buses not in service wonder if there could be a case for opening one at the other side of the tunnel instead.

Could easily move the likes of the 5, 9, 24, 26, 27, 41/41A and 50 into it and give a massive relief to both Washington and Deptford and in turn move the 1 to Riverside and the 307/309 to either - whatever is easier.

Distance wise is negligible for most routes really.

Heck you could even make a super depot and shut Washington in the process; with the 34/34A to Consett, 8/X1 to Deptford, 4/Washington Locals to the new depot and 25/28/29 to Riverside and even possibly the 57/58 there aswell and have a hub based at Heworth with the 4/57/58 similar to Arriva at Morpeth (remember it was Featham who set that up).

It's removing the old depots and replacing them with one modern depot.