Regional bus plan, Will Northumberland miss out as its Leader drives on towards independence.

 

With Northumberland's political leadership acting without democratic mandate and blanking themselves off from all commitments to work with other regional leaders and the North of Tyne Mayor, who holds the responsibility for transport over the largest geographical part of the region, may leave northumbrians living in an Independent Republic with less public transport than the meagre offering they already have.

The plan, thought by transport experts to be the most people centred offer outside the Capital if all councils agree to pick up the mantle and run with it is the offer being put before residents of the north-east region to ask everyone how they would like bus transport scoped in their areas. The visionary initial outline plan looks like this:

A single ticket that would allow unlimited travel across all bus, metro, and ferry services across Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland plus rail services between Newcastle, the metrocentre and Blaydon*.

The multi-model ticket will be capped on a two zone basis at between £4 & £6:50.

Cheaper tickets for under 19's with a target £1:20 single fare and a £2:50 multi model regional cap.

A trial of free travel for under 12's will take place in 2022

A pledge to run zero emissions buses where they can be sustainably managed and the cleanest engine models where distance dictates need. With a trial of hydrogen busses as soon as practicable.

More early morning and late evening and overnight services across rural Durham and Northumberland.

*Talks still have to be agreed to organise cross ticketing on the Northumberland and Tyne Valley train lines but the reluctance or is that intransigence from the leaders of the new Republic in Northumberland who refuse to look outside of their own back gardens will lead at this moment to Northumberland missing out from what is after all an amazing green and pleasant offer.