(17 May 2023, 4:15 pm)Storx wrote I still don't think buses are the problem it's everything else. People simply don't want to sit on buses going around every nook and cranny
To pick an example Sunderland to Durham to Bishop, 3 major corridors without any form of real express routing. This should be a rail link and would be in pretty much every other European country.
No-one and I mean no-one wants to sit on the 20 or even the X20 between Sunderland and Durham as it simply takes too long so pricing is irrelevant here so use a car. Once you have a car why bother paying extra for public transport at all you've already paid the expensive parts insurance etc.
Unless they invest in rail or metros then buses will always fail. Manchester is not a fair comparison as Metrolink is a strong rapid transport network and if it isn't served by that then there's likely a northern service nearby. It's very different to up here.
You see i don't agree. I think most passengers will put up with a long route.... its when that route takes EVEN LONGER when they decide to lop routes togeter. Take the Q£ - when ive been waiting for this bus to the rigg it used to be packed heading towards Gosforth high street but now it goes via Jesmond its definitely not picking up as many passenger, but if it had went that way in the beginning then no one would complain as its the route its always taken. Same with "new" buses. GNE x-lines - you get used to it, then ex London or 03 plate decker's appear on it and your going to think well this is carp!! But if those ex London and )£ plate decker's were on from the start you wouldn't complain as you would have nothing to compare them against.