(11 Aug 2013, 1:48 pm)Andreos1 wrote Re the comments above relating to the Durham Road corridor.
The majority of passengers get off between the cenotaph/snooker club and Harlow Green.
How many of those passengers actually live within 5mins of their stop?
You just need to look at the housing in that area, either wedged between Durham Road & Old Durham Road or wedged between Durham Road & Saltwell Road.
Using the 1st area as an example, it isn't hard to see people trudging up Beacon Lough bank after getting off a 21 to see an Orbit, Pulse or Loop trundling past (it used to happen with me way back when, walking up that hill as a kid, with little legs isnt fun - believe me).
It is all well and good having a super fast frequency along Durham Road, but ignoring the residents of Dryden Road, Valley Drive, Church Road or Beacon Lough bank and not having an Orbit extend into Newcastle is strange.
Yet another reason why the 51/52 link direct to Newcastle should be restored. The number of people who used to board the 51 (or 27 if you want to go further back) along the Kells Lane and Dryden Road bus stops was always quite steady. Since the Orbit started to terminate at Gateshead there certainly seems to be less numbers stood at the bus stops along Kells Lane and Dryden Road. If relieving the pressure on the Angels in terms of loading is a big concern, restoring the direct Orbit link to Newcastle could help, as passengers used to use it to Newcastle instead of walking down to Durham Road.