(03 Aug 2023, 8:02 am)R852 PRG wrote Now, I agree with the overwhelming majority of the points you make here. But there is no easy answer. I expect that franchising will enter local transport discourse properly from September onward, but the enhanced partnership model is probably better for the region.
If the wider network was situated within one large metropolitan area, fair enough, but that's not the case. While a franchising model could be applied to North Tyneside, I think it's probably the only area of the north east in which it would be feasible for the longer term. It's the only subsidiary metropolitan area with sufficiently busy trunk routes which could support the less commercially viable stuff.
NB. I think most locals would classify Barley Mow and Portobello as their own places, perhaps at best subsidiaries of Birtley proper.
Honestly, can't disagree to be fair. It needs radical change though as it's been broken for well over 20 year. Agree about partnerships though as sadly I have as little hope with Nexus or our local councillers at the reign aswell.
Mind I do think South Tyneside is in a similar state in areas aswell. We badly need better bus / Metro connection though rather than treating them like competition as Car vs Bus vs Metro only one will win.
(03 Aug 2023, 8:15 am)busmanT wrote The current (since October 1986) arrangements are that operators chose what services they believe that they can run commercially (i.e make a profit, just like food retailers, dispensing chemists etc. do), and the onus is on the Local Authority to fill any gaps in provision that it deems necessary. That's how it is.
So nowhere should be left unserved (I don't think any part of Birtley is) provided that the Local Authority deem that a service is necessary.
Bus services in many parts of North Tyneside have been heavily dependent on ENCTS passengers for many years (a generally older population) but these passengers have not returned in the same volume post covid - I've read that ENCTS passengers are only about 70% of pre covid numbers. No surprise then that some bus services in North Tyneside are a financial disaster......
I recall that service 19 was heavily subsidised by Cobalt (the only real reason for its existence being to serve Cobalt) but I think that subsidy disappeared long ago - there always seem to be a lot of empty buildings in Cobalt, so I'm not surprised that the 19 isn't commercial.
Aye no arguments about that, isn't the ENCTS payments still the same as they are pre Covid currently, ie they haven't dropped how much they're paid to keep the services running as a de-facto subsidy? I know it's what the big problem is down in Co. Durham and Tees Valley now, not sure if it's already been done up here though.