(8 hours ago)BusLoverMum wrote I'm sure that, as in the past, the X20 change is mostly a case of allocating the Durham - Langley Park section of the route to the different service(s) changing the resources required, rather than increasing or decreasing them. It's previously been the standalone 14 and and part of the 20A.That's a pretty big diversion though. Going from a circa 35-40 minute journey time DHM > CON
The X5/15 is currently half of what it was 6 years ago so maybe this is an attempt to make it more viable or to move resource demand away from Deptford.
And, after all, it's a constant that retail parks haven't been well served by bus services and one of the things that GNE has done right, routing the 21 via the Arnison centre, has proved that there is a demand for it.
GNE have not helped the decline with poor reliability, unsuitable vehicle allocations (i.e cast off non-native B9TL / E400), strikes, driver shortages.
Derwentside communities are very close knit and if GNE go ahead with these changes, I can see Northstar giving a competing commercial service a good go sticking to the current X5/X15 routes, and with only a PVR of 3 hence less of a commercial risk! Word would get around very quickly, not forgetting the benefit of a smaller pool of drivers getting to know the passengers.
Not forgetting the nightmare traffic which can occur at the Arnison Centre during busy times too.