What are we consulting about?
This consultation is about planned changes to service TB15 – this service (which is funded by Nexus using taxpayer funds) currently operates up to every 60 minutes Monday-Saturday daytime (09:45-15:45) between Blaydon-Crawcrook Garden House Estate.
Why are we considering changes to this service?
We have recently undertaken a review of service TB15. Our review identified a very low level of use – on average only 10 passengers per day (less than 2 passengers per hour). We do not regard the service as offering good value for money in its current form and are therefore proposing some changes which are set out below.
What changes are we proposing?
We plan to replace the existing taxi vehicle with a small minibus. In doing so, we think that greater awareness of the service can be created – the minibus would be fitted with a destination display, which would make the vehicle more recognisable as a public transport service. The small minibus would also offer improved accessibility, with increased room inside the vehicle to manoeuvre with wheelchairs, shopping trolleys, pushchairs etc and also provide easier ‘step-free’ access to/from the vehicle. As we would no longer be using a taxibus vehicle, we plan to change the service number allocated to this route from TB15 to 615.
We also propose to make some changes to the route. In part, changes are required to better meet the needs of local residents as, since the route was launched a few years back, there have been several new housing developments introduced in the immediate wider area, while other sections of the existing route are not generating sufficient levels of demand to keep the service viable. It is also necessary to amend some sections of the route as a result of moving to a larger vehicle type as the small minibus would not be suitable for operation on some of the roads served by the current taxi vehicle.
Details (draft timetable and route map) of the planned new route (service 615) are available by clicking on the links below. This new service would replace the current TB15 and would operate hourly, Monday-Saturday from 09:30 until 15:30. The new route would serve Blaydon-Crookhill-Ryton Village (East)-Ryton-Woodside-Crawcrook-Kepier Chare-Clara Vale. On some sections of route, the proposed 615 would overlap with the existing R3/R4. The draft timetable in these areas has been designed to combine departures in these locations as evenly as possible.
How will passengers be affected by these changes?
We have summarised the impact of our proposed changes on local communities within the table below:
| Area | Impact of planned changes to TB15 |
|---|---|
| Blaydon | Revised timetable and vehicle type. |
| Path Head Water Mill | Removed from route - no longer served. |
| Crookhill/Stargate | Revised timetable and vehicle type/improved co-ordinated frequency (with R3/R4). |
| Ryton | New daytime bus provision on Holburn Lane/Village East. |
| Folly/Greenside | Removed from route - covered by Go North East service 10A (up to every 30 minutes). |
| Kepier Chare | Revised timetable and vehicle type. |
| Garden House Estate | Estate roads no longer served but improved co-ordinated frequency (with R3/R4) on Crawcrook Lane. |
| Clara Vale | Revised timetable and vehicle type/improved co-ordinated frequency (with R3/R4). |
Your views
This consultation was open from 4 October until 15 November 2018. 9 emails, 4 phone calls, 1 letter and 9 responses to a web based survey were received. The issues raised, and our responses, are included in the TB15 consultation feedback document available below.
Following the public consultation we have concluded that service TB15 should be withdrawn at the end of the current contract (19 May 2019) and replaced by a new service R1 (based on the draft proposal for service 615 circulated during the consultation but renumbered following feedback).