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 