(16 Oct 2025, 9:46 pm)PH - BQA wrote The fact is though that these workers are literally being forced into converting to bus users, and the improvements which will be required to accommodate them all are the same improvements which will persuade other car users onto the bus. There isn't a choice for most of these people, they cannot continue driving to work, and if buses are to cope with the demand this will cause then changes will be required in some shape or form. 

There are a significant number of routes in the NE which go directly into Newcastle, pretty much using the route you'd take in a car, with only an initial 5-10 minute walk to a stop. The GNR, Durham Road, and Coast Road corridors (and the extensions north/south from some of these) are core examples. These corridors all serve large populations of people, and realistically much more could be done to improve their services. Be that additional express services (maybe a Coast Road express...), additional measures to improve timekeeping, or additional capacity.

I'd also be surprised if this is the last big jump in increased patronage into/out of the city centre. The housing and/or industrial projects at The Helix, Forth Banks, and the CAV/General will all have more people living or working within the city centre within the next few years - and most of those people will need transport.

Just to add to this, I think it's also worth pointing out that the Benton Park View and Waterview Park car parks especially have been over-subscribed for years and waiting lists in operation. Even nowadays, the parking is only granted to those travelling from further afield, with workers more local being recommended to use public transport. There's a hell of a lot of car users here that will be converting over; probably way beyond the scale we've seen before in this region. 

I don't think it'll be the last big jump either. I think we'll see more businesses or organisations attracted to City Centre accommodation, and to be honest, we need to encourage that. It's pointless banging on about the high street and retail, it's got to be about repurposing space and introducing new footfall.