(01 Jun 2023, 8:12 pm)DeltaMan wrote It's worth remembering Wiltshire Drive currently has FOUR GNE buses an hour running through it with the 41A, so it isn't underserved.The 41 runs via Station Rd, so Wiltshire Drive has 2x41a GNE buses an hour to Hadrian Pk / Wallsend plus the hourly 51. I think what people forget is the 51 does more than just serve Newcastle, people use it to get to ASDA from Wiltshire Drive plus it’s a quick route into Newcastle from Holystone and East Benton Rise / Fallow Park.
The issue is that given how frequent the 307 and 309 are down Station Road, that effectively 'sucks' the Newcastle passengers from the east side of Wiltshire Drive. The West side is mainly better off households, less likely to use Buses, meaning the 51 probably doesn't pick up that many people. So it may well need a tendered solution if a link to Newcastle is needed. I'd maybe run it non-stop all the way to the Corner House, then non stop to the Civic. I don't believe the 51 is part of the QA, so gives users an actually useful express option from parts of North Tyneside largely unserved by commercial operators.
RE: Go North East September 2023 changes