I'd say the 309 can sometimes (especially on a nice day) be very up / down with reliability despite having the same layover times as the March 2019 changes and being standalone (even though slightly longer via High Farm).

Something needs done to sort the congestion issues around Whitley Bay.....maybe the 308 & 309 revert to using Maughan's (omitting Whitley Road) and NTC make the small section of Park Avenue past Sainsburys bus only in both directions.

That roundabout at Murton House Farm hasn't helped matters either!

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And before the July 2022 changes, I'd say the X72 (when it interworked with with the X30/X31) was up there too!