A North East bus company has revealed another huge swathe of cuts that are set to hit passengers this summer.
Go North East has announced proposed changes to dozens of services across the region, which it expects to introduce in July. Routes in Newcastle and North Tyneside were already the subject of cutbacks earlier this year and now bus users in County Durham, Gateshead, Sunderland, South Tyneside, and parts of the Tyne Valley in Northumberland are set to have their services scaled back too.
It had been hoped that the decision to reduce more services would be put on hold until October, after the Government bowed to pressure to extend Covid emergency grant funding until then. But Go North East said on Monday that it was “at the point where it’s clear some services won’t recover to the point of being viable without changes or external support”.
The operator added: “Given the huge changes in the way many people are working and living, including things like home working and online shopping, it is only right that services are adapted to efficiently meet new patterns of demand.
“We are now in a position where we need to look at making changes to ensure that our bus network is sustainable. We are working closely with local authorities on any possible replacement options where there are reductions in services, although noting their budget challenges.”
Arriva and Stagecoach, the region’s other two major bus operators, have not yet announced further changes to their routes. An online consultation on the cuts will run until May 31, while the final changes are due to be imposed from July 24 after passengers' feedback is assessed.
Gateshead Council leader Martin Gannon, chair of the North East Joint Transport Committee, said: “This is a very unwelcome development and communities will understandably be worried their bus services are being cut. We fought long and hard for more funding from Government to keep public transport services going as we recover from the effects of Covid-19.
"It isn’t clear to me why Go North East are proposing to make such widespread cuts at a time when we need buses more than ever. I will be asking Go North East for an explanation, and in the meantime our local authorities and Nexus will work up another rescue package to mitigate against the worst effects of these proposed cuts.”
Huw Lewis, customer services director at Tyne and Wear Metro operator Nexus, said transport bosses “had feared commercial bus companies would continue to review and cut back services they operate”. Nexus did put together a £4.5m rescue deal to stave off some of the reductions in Newcastle and North Tyneside and is expected to do the same this time.
He added: “We are already talking to Go North East about ways to protect local services and those talks will continue while it considers consultation responses. When commercial bus companies made cuts in Newcastle and North Tyneside, Nexus put together a rescue package for local routes to stave off the worst effects of those cuts and made contingency plans for a similar rescue package should further cuts be announced in Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland.
"We will need to understand the final extent of the cuts Go North East make, and discuss these with local councils and community leaders before we put forward a detailed response.”
It is understood that £163m of bus improvement funding recently awarded to the North East by the Government has yet to be received by local officials and, in any case, could not be used to reverse these service cuts.
Click here for the full list of the cuts proposed by Go North East.
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