Bus routes in Newcastle, Gateshead, and North Tyneside face being slashed as transport bosses grapple with major budget cuts.
More details of plans to axe a series of morning, evening and weekend services in some areas have been confirmed.
Tyne and Wear Metro operator Nexus confirmed last month that it would have to make significant cuts to the region’s public transport services, due to an £20.8m black hole expected in 2022/23 once Government bailout funding that has propped up the network during the Covid crisis comes to an end.
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While the Metro itself is thought to be unlikely to suffer service reductions, on the basis that any cuts would push it into a catastrophic spiral of decline, bus users will not be so lucky.
While bus services here are operated by private companies like Stagecoach or Go North East, Nexus pays to protect routes that would otherwise be commercially unviable – including some to outlying areas and outside of peak hours.
The publicly-owned body says it would axe some “very lightly used services” in Newcastle, Gateshead, and North Tyneside under proposals put out to public consultation this week.
However, there could yet be more to come depending on whether Tyne and Wear’s five local councils agree to up their funding to Nexus by more than £4m, or if the Government can be talked into a U-turn and continue some emergency grants.
The following services will be affected under the current plans:
K1/K2 in North Tyneside
- K1 cancelled
- K2 route revised to additionally serve Forest Hall Shops
553 in Newcastle/North Tyneside
Cancellation of the following Monday to Friday trips:
- 0653 from Wallsend Metro to Freeman Hospital (0710) via Walkergate (0659)
- 1646 from Freeman Hospital to Battle Hill (1711) via Wallsend Forum (1702)
552 in Newcastle/North Tyneside
- Monday to Friday trip from Brunswick Village (0643) to Tyneview Park (0730) would instead start from Regent Centre at 0720 and then operate to Tyneview Park arriving at 0740
333/335 in North Tyneside
- 333 cancelled
- 335 extended to additionally serve Ferry Landing and Fish Quay
44 in Newcastle
- Saturday 0603 trip from Dinnington to Newcastle via Hazlerigg (0608) and Regent Centre (0619) will be cancelled due to low demand
32a in Newcastle
- Daily evening trips on 32a cancelled due to low demand
- Sunday daytime trips on 32a reduced to hourly, but extended to/from Walker
11 and 19 in North Tyneside
- Amending evening/Sunday 11 route to additionally serve Ferry Landing/Fish Quay.
- Cancelling all evening/Sunday 19 trips due to low demand
359/W3in North Tyneside
- 359 replaced by new 351 service which would operate between Backworth Shrewsbury Drive and Whitley Bay Metro via West Monkseaton, Beaumont Park and Whitley Lodge.
- W3 route revised in New York to additionally serve Murton Village
91 in Gateshead, Newcastle, and North Tyneside.
- Reduce the number of trips between Newcastle and Team Valley, certain journeys retimed to improve efficiency
33/33a in Newcastle
- Route of services 33/33a between Jesmond and City Centre revised to serve Shieldfield and University of Northumbria City Campus
643 in Gateshead
- Nexus is proposing allocating new funding to Go North East to ensure the service continues to operate, rather than being cancelled at the end of March 2022 when its existing government subsidy expires.
Full details of the changes and how to have your say can be found at nexus.org.uk/consultation.
A Nexus spokesperson said: "We have reviewed the local routes we provide to fill gaps between services operated by commercial companies like Go North East and Stagecoach.
“We have not changed some of these routes since 2011 and it is important we review them as demand has changed over the years and since the pandemic.
“Our target is for local people to be within 400 metres’ walk of a bus.
“The changes we’ve proposed don’t change that, though there are a few streets where we are proposing to withdraw very lightly used services, and this will mean people living there still have a bus within walking distance, but may have to change buses to get to their destination.
“We are asking local councillors and community representatives their views, though it is important we point out our plans may have to change.
“The whole bus industry is under enormous financial pressure in the wake of the pandemic, and if this leads to bus companies making their own changes in the coming months then that will affect our own plans, because we fit our services around the commercial network to put as many people as possible in reach of a local service."
