Lancaster Bus Users' Group

Following the introduction in August 2023 of a new timetable on service 89 between Lancaster and Knott End-on-Sea, together with new service 88 that links the same points via Garstang, the Bus Users’ Group started to receive complaints about buses running early on journeys coming into Lancaster. The problem was most apparent at the stops at the Islamic College and Ripley School on Ashton Road where buses were reportedly passing three to four minutes before the advertised times with individual journeys reported as being up to seven minutes early.

At the same time, buses on the new 88 route were experiencing difficulties at the bridge over the Lancaster Canal on Moss Lane in Garstang and in crossing the A6 from there.

Investigation by the Group swiftly established that the early running problem was not helped by the uneven nature of the timetable. It’s not unusual for service buses to be allowed a different amount of time in each direction; the route followed may not be exactly the same and other factors such as road conditions and even passenger loadings can influence the amount of time needed. The Knott End services are a classic case, with both the 88 and 89 allowing buses six minutes less to travel from Knott End to Lancaster than in the opposite direction.

Differential Timings

With less time allowed to complete the journey buses will need to run faster when heading towards Lancaster, but here the timetable lays a trap: for the section of route between Condor Green and Ripley School city-bound buses are allowed four minutes longer than in the opposite direction. Drivers who will have been going more quickly over the rest of the route to allow for the reduced running time can easily be caught out by the extra time added after Condor Green, hence the early running along Ashton Road.

Of course, a good driver should either wait for time or adjust his or her driving so as not to run early, but the timing point at Condor Green, The Stork (which is an unmarked stop just around a bend) is not suitable for buses to wait for any length of time, whilst driving artificially slowly along the A588 causes its own problems.

Action eventually

The Bus Users’ Group first raised the issue with Lancashire County Council, which designed the timetable that Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire operate on its behalf, in November last year and were told that the problem would be resolved “early in the new year”. Nothing happened and various other promised dates came and went, but finally a new timetable was registered with the Traffic Commissioner to commence on 19th May.

Running time reduced

The new timetable reduces the running time allowed in both directions, but actually increases the differential according to direction of travel. Buses will now get ten minutes longer to get from Lancaster to Knott End than they do to come back! In the case of the 89 this represents a 16% reduction in time allowed for northbound buses over southbound ones.

The new timetable should, however, resolve the early running problem on Ashton Road as the time given from Condor Green to Ripley School is reduced from eleven to seven minutes, which coupled with a six-minute reduction in the overall time allowed from Knott End should mean buses will arrive at the advertised times.

Route Change

The other feature of the new 88 timetable is a new route in the Garstang area to take the service away from the canal bridge on Moss Lane. Southbound buses entering Garstang via Croston Road will complete the loop around Garstang town centre via Park Hill Road and retrace their steps via Croston Road to the A6, then travel south to resume the existing route at Longmoor Lane. Northbound buses will follow the reverse of this route and the three bus stops on Moss Lane will not be served. As well as avoiding the troublesome canal bridge this change will also eliminate the potentially difficult crossing of the A6 at the Moss Lane/Longmoor Lane junction.

The new timetable, which will be introduced on 19th May is here.

Lancaster Bus Users’ Group has published a new leaflet with ideas to tempt people to get out and about on the buses this spring and summer and take full advantage of the cap on bus fares to a maximum of £2 per journey.

Although Stagecoach and the county council do a good job in making basic timetable information available to the public, in both digital and printed formats, neither appear to do much to encourage local people or visitors to use the buses or to make trips to places that they may not have realised were easily accessible by bus.

This is in complete contrast to the Lake District, where Stagecoach produces a 72-page full-colour booklet, twice a year, packed full of timetables, maps and details of local attractions.

Although the Group doesn’t have Stagecoach’s resources to replicate that publication for north Lancashire, it has, with generous financial assistance from transport watchdog Travel Watch North West, been able to publish a more modest leaflet that aims to do the same job of encouraging more use of local buses.

Lancaster Bus Users’ Group Chair, Jim Davies said:

“With bus fares frozen at a maximum of £2 per journey for the rest of the year, now is the perfect time to get out and explore north Lancashire and neighbouring counties without a car.

“We hope existing bus passengers will take the opportunity to try a route or find a destination that is new to them, whilst those new to buses will find our guide helpful in choosing where to go.”

Local attractions

The leaflet itemises seven local attractions that can easily be reached by bus from Lancaster, ranging from short-distance trips to Williamson Park Crook o’ Lune and Glasson Dock, to longer, more adventurous rides to Silverdale, Kendal, Kirkby Lonsdale and Blackpool with details of which bus to catch and where to get timetable information.

Professionally-produced by marketing consultants, PB Bus Marketing Ltd, the leaflets can be obtained free of charge, from Lancaster bus station (at the carousel outside the Stagecoach office and at Nefis’ Tea Bar at the Damside Street entrance), Lancaster Library and other local outlets.

For those who prefer a digital version, or are able to print at home, the leaflet can be viewed or downloaded from this link: Days out by bus from Lancaster Leaflet