Author: Jim

Blackpool is notorious for its lack of a bus station, with passengers – locals and visitors alike – having to work out which of several town centre shopping streets their bus might leave from.

Stagecoach’s service 42 to Lancaster leaves from one of two bus stops located on Abingdon Street, although until recently the only indication of which of those stops it might be was a tiny “42” sticker attached to the bus stop flag.

There was no indication as to where this “42” might go, still less when one might expect it to depart. With bus stop infrastructure in the town controlled by Blackpool Council there wasn’t much that Stagecoach could do about it – and even the “42” added to the sign looks to have been done so surreptitiously.

Change of Heart

But a recent visit to the resort by BUG’s roving reporter uncovered a development – and one which seems to have been authorised at a “high level”!

The previously empty display case now has a nice, clear departure list of buses on service 42 apparently provided by Blackpool Council.

Note, however, just how high up on the pole it has been fixed. The top of the case is at the same height as the top of the adjacent shelter, whilst the information on departures is placed right at the top of the case, putting it at a higher level than the top of the bus door!

Anyone tall enough to be able to read the display would have to bend double to get on the bus!

A common problem

This problem is not unique to Blackpool, as all vertically-challenged bus passengers will know. The BUG suspects it’s because the cases are fixed to the poles by staff who position them where it is most comfortable for them to do the work, without bending or stooping, whilst the computer software that produces the displays themselves is programmed to start at the top of the page irrespective of how much information needs to be provided on any particular display. (Anyone reading this from the bus company or the council please note!). Both these issues are fixable, but until then we can only suggest passengers carry one vital piece of equipment!

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.