Nexus is creating new local bus links to local shops, services and health facilities in Whitley Bay and North Shields from Monday 26 March.
There is a brand new W7 route linking South Wellfield and Earsdon directly to North Tyneside General Hospital and Percy Main, for connections by Route 19 bus to Royal Quays.
And there is a brand new W4 route, linking Whitley Bay town centre via Monkseaton Front Street to Drumoyne Gardens.
In January Nexus also changed the route of the 333 to link North Shields Ferry Landing, Fish Quay and town centre directly with Linskell Terrace and the seafront at Blue Reef Aquarium.
The changes are being made by Nexus to services it provides using local council funds following consultation with local councillors. This follows the decision by Go North East to withdraw its commercially-operated 85/86 routes in the area.
There are also more minor changes to timetables and routes on some other services in North Tyneside and Newcastle from 25 March. Details are available at nexus.org.uk, or from Travelshops.
Tobyn Hughes, Director of Customer Services at Nexus, said: “The changes we have made since January protect or restore local links to shops and health services local people rely on.
“We have done the best we can with the limited funds available to us, after Go North East informed us the 85/86 was to be withdrawn.”
“This situation underlines why Tyne and Wear needs a new blueprint for bus services that delivers a stable and reliable public service, rather than relying on Nexus plugging the gaps that are left when decisions are taken for purely commercial reasons.”
The new W4 and W7 will start on Monday, 26 March with both routes running every hour Monday to Saturday until early evening. The 333 already runs every 30 minutes between the North Shields Ferry Landing and Blue Reef.
North Tyneside Council has carried out highway works on Drumoyne Gardens to allow the W4 to run without risk of delay, and a knock on impact on other routes in the borough.
The W4 will run hourly from Whitley Bay town centre (HSBC bank) via Norham Road, Monkseaton Front Street, Cauldwell Lane and then in a one-way loop along Drumoyne Gardens and Seatonville Road (the old W1 route). The bus is ‘hail and ride’ stopping at any safe point on Cauldwell Avenue, Drumoyne Gardens, Newlands Avenue, Burnt House Road.
The W7 will run hourly from South Wellfield to Garden Terrace in Earsdon Village, then back round Hareshaw Road (where it will operate ‘hail and ride’ via Redheugh Road, Hareshaw Road, Burnbank Road and Greystead Road) then back to Earsdon Road, Monkseaton Drive and Sainsbury’s, Saetonville Road, Rake Lane, Norham Road North, Ripley Avenue and Waterville Road to Percy Main Metro, terminating at Nelson Terrace.
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