Back in the seventies I dead headed from Tennant to Alice in a TAA F27. Remembered that there were plenty of spare seats. I would think that loads have been falling steadly over the years, hence the reason AN pulled the F28 off the run. I understand that TL picked the run up with C441's and provided the only service. This was upgraded to a Metro III and then finally the 23. People in the know tell me that the load factors have been continously falling for a number of years, due basically to the decline in mining, and people are leaving for good. Hence the number of empty houses in TNK. Lets face it - bums on seats are needed. No operator can afford to lose money and remain in business. If the loads are not there, then its up to the government, either Federal or State to support the route, if it is necessary.
TL may be a bad operator - but they are still in business and employing quite a large workforce.
If the customers don't like Metro's, then they certainly won't like the 1900 either.
The route is one of those that you can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.
I understand that the government offered the route to Vincent's and Vincent's wisely declined it.