What are we consulting about?
We are seeking customer feedback on our proposal to operate the TB14 service on a Monday to Friday basis instead of Monday to Saturday.
Why are we considering changes to this service?
The number of passengers using the service on Saturday is extremely low, with an average of 1 passenger per trip. The cost of running the Saturday service is approximately £20.00 per passenger. This is unviable as things stand today and we need to make changes to keep the service viable for most of those that use it.
What changes are we proposing?
To lower costs with the aim of improving overall viability, we propose to cancel the Saturday service. The TB14 would therefore operate on a Monday to Friday basis with no change to the current timetable.
How would customers be affected by our proposed changes?
The service will run on weekdays to maintain links to healthcare and shopping facilities. There will be no direct link between Kibblesworth and Birtley on Saturday daytimes. Parts of the Northfields Estate in Birtley will also lose its Saturday service.
Your views?
We recently consulted regarding the withdrawal of the Saturday journeys on the Taxibus TB14 service.
The consultation was open 20th December 2024 date to 19th January 2025.
We received 6 responses. 6 opposed, 0 supported and 0 were neutral. Some of these submissions were received after the deadline but were included in the exercise.
The reason we proposed the reduction in operational days is because the price to Nexus of running the service is unsustainable.
The overall cost of running the TB14 service is over £13 per passenger. As use of the service is lower on a Saturday, we estimate it is costing Nexus over £20.00 per passenger at the weekend.
We recognise how important the service is to those that use is it and the Monday to Friday service will remain with no change to the timetable. This will ensure links to essential services are maintained to/from Kibblesworth and the areas of Barley Mow and Birtley not currently served by traditional Bus services on the busiest days of the services operation. This will apply from 11th May 2025.
For those affected by the removal of trips on a Saturday, we would like to take the opportunity to advise that we do offer a Taxi scheme for people with mobility difficulties. Depending on circumstances, you may be eligible for this. You can see further details about TaxiCard here - Although not a like-for-like replacement for the TB14 on Saturday, if eligible, the scheme may be of some help at the times the TB14 does not operate.
We would like to thank everyone who took the time to provide us with their views and help shape the future of this service. If you have any concerns or want to learn more about TaxiCard, please get in touch with Nexus.