(Yesterday, 12:56 am)stagecoachbusdepot wrote How many other supermarkets have a bus service running into their carparks though?  Given there are entire housing estates without bus services running through them I'm not sure why one random supermarket (one already served by a Metro and various normal bus services stopping around 300m away, at that) should warrant a publicly funded service.

Well quite a few did before the pandemic.

Admittedly it doesn't have to go into the car park, and given Tesco don't fund it, operating it alongside the other bus routes would make sense. Given Newbiggin Hall only has an hourly link with the 6 and the free bus offering a return journey once a day (except Wednesday and weekends) there is a possible need for an hourly M71 at least, to offer a combined 30 minute frequency with the 6. Obviously given the low passenger numbers, perhaps there isn't. Bizarrely, the 71A/M71 has been around for a number of years (except when it was merged with the 342).

Valid point on housing estates not having a bus service. Not sure why this particular Tesco has the M71 and T1/T2/T3 operating into the car park (obviously Tesco fund the free buses, which is odd given how many buses serve Kingston Park). Likely next year will see off the M71, with the hourly 6 providing the link for the small number of customers.