imo it's not really not bad value for money really considering the number of short routes that would have to run all over the place to replace it.

For context the 58, 434 and Morpeth locals in Northumberland are £1.7k a day or so combined and there's an awful lot more needed than that.

In Nexus land the 19 (North Tyneside part only) and 335 in 2023 were £3.5k a day combined. That's pretty much your whole budget gone already.