Lancaster’s Park & Ride service, which links the Infirmary and the City Centre with the car park at Jc 34 of the M6 via Caton Road, will be cut back from Monday 6th July.
The service will be reduced from every 15 minutes to every half hour. Ironically, for a service provided for the purpose of reducing traffic, the frequency is further reduced to one bus every 45 minutes at peak times due to the extra traffic at these times delaying the bus!
The cuts will follow the ending of funding from the NHS, which since 2021 has allowed a second bus to be provided to run the 15 minute frequency and extend the service to the Infirmary from its previous terminus in the city centre. Despite the end of this funding, the Infirmary will still be served.
At the time the funding was provided it was said to be temporary until such time as the NHS could improve staff car parking provision at the Infirmary, although now that it is ending there has been no statement to the effect that the extra parking is in place.
The new timetable inevitably leads to a less attractive service. For example, a car driver arriving at the Car Park and just missing the 0740 bus into the city is expected to wait until 0820 for a bus with the following departure not until 0900.
Heavily subsidised
At the same time as the service quality is reduced, the cost is increased – with a return fare rising to £2.50 – although for a journey of just over 4km each way the fare remains far lower than every other bus fare in the city (and parking is, of course, free).
The motorist is still therefore heavily subsidised and the Bus Users’ Group can’t help but wonder if the money couldn’t be better spent providing better bus services that everyone could use, rather than just those who already have an alternative means of transport.
Lancaster Bus Users' Group 