(07 Jan 2025, 12:52 am)Coastliner700 wrote The problem I have is the 342, 317, 19 all exist because of GNE. They changed them far to often confused people and made them unsustainable to the point where they were withdrawn them. To allow them to run the above contracts and be paid for them from public funds is scandalous. I can’t speak for the 351 but the whole North Tyneside operation was led to the point Arriva were pulling out and leaving a mess!

Probably doesn't help that there's 3 operators in the area either (Stagecoach - partially, GoNorthEast and Arriva). There's just not enough going around for all 3, with the Metro added on top which the vast majority of people use if they live next to it.

The towns, especially North Shields are all ghost towns aswell, yet they're obsessed with sending all the buses there which doesn't help either mind. Yet there's a cinema, multiple restaurants and all your shopping needs at Silverlink and the place is pretty much unserved without going under busy and unpleasant dual carriageways.

The whole area badly needs redone instead of having the same routes as 30 year ago, give or take, when places like Cobalt were fields imo and they need to work with the Metro, rather than against it aswell utilising the three interchanges (Wallsend / North Shields and Northumberland Park)