(16 Jan 2024, 11:14 pm)logidoodah wrote It has been like that an awful long time. I think it's like that as it works around scholars if it weren't for those I think it would've been withdrawn a long time ago. If something ain't broke...
Now where is that enthusiast attitude. You should be grateful it hasn't been. Why you'd want less services I have no idea. Personally I'd make it a loop through to Grangetown and City Centre.
Its not like Stagecoach Sunderland are struggling other than for drivers - which I mentioned earlier are for scholars anyhow.
The 18/18A is one of those routes that really needs to be looked at under BSIP and someone decide what exactly is the point of it. It goes to a lot of places, but I'm failing to see exactly anything of real note on the whole route, it avoids both Sainsbury's stores, it avoids Doxford Park to the South, avoids the business park North of the water, avoids the businesses near the new bridge, avoids the businesses near the A19 near Pennywell.
It's a bit bizarre route, comes across as a route designed 50 year ago and never really changed with stuff changing around it.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Morrison...?entry=ttu - Something like that would be better imo, it's basically serving the same areas but you've now got Sainsburys at Silksworth, Morrison's at Doxford Park, Doxford Park Enterprise Park, Pennywell, Aldi Chester Road, Royal Hospital, Pallion Retail Park, Hylton Retail Park, Southwick, Aldi Southwick, Fulwell, Seaburn Morrisons / Beach.
Connects loads of little places up for pensioners etc and they're all hard to get to, no service from Doxford Park to Silksworth etc or anywhere really North / South to the West of Sunderland.