Author: Jim

In August we published a post (Confusing Times) that was critical of Lancashire County Council’s bus stop timetable displays. The post didn’t go down well at County Hall, but it did lead to a promise to review the way the information was displayed and to try and make it clearer. That promise has now been fulfilled.

Where did we start

The problems concerned the way the times of services 1/1A and 100 were displayed and particularly the variations between University Terms and University Holidays timetables. You can read what we said at the time on this link: Confusing Times 8th August 2025 but the display below will give you an indication of how confusing the displays were.

The Council promised to review the content and presentation of the displays, a promise that has now been fulfilled.

Service 1A

The new displays divide the times into two periods: University terms and University holidays and make it clear that there are more buses between the city centre and the University in term time than in the holidays without using the plethora of codes on the old version (compare with the image above). Service 1, which also runs between th city and University in term time is shown in a similar way.

Service 100

The same solution was adopted for service 100, with the timings again being split into term times and holidays and the timings themselves reviewed to eliminate the duplicates or near duplicates on the old version.

Here is one of the new displays:

One step forward….

Unfortunately, when the first versions of the new displays were put up a problem quickly became apparent. The Bus Users’ Group was alerted by a passenger from Bowerham, who complained that the journeys her daughter used to get to and from college had been withdrawn and the there were lengthy gaps in the timetable. Our own checks showed that this appeared to be an error and also that, strangely, Sunday times that were correct on the old displays were wrong on the new ones,with many journeys missing!

Our report to the county council enabled it to identify and swiftly resolve an issue with the data in its system and to correct and re-post the displays. We are pleased to be able to say (as far as we are aware) that the roadside displays concerned are now both clearer and correct.

Local bus users in Halton are to organise an unofficial “launch” for Lonsdale Buses’ new service 83 from Brookhouse to Morecambe, which they describe as a potential “life changer” for many people.

The new service, which starts on Monday 27th October, will link Brookhouse, Caton, Halton, Beaumont, Skerton and Torrisholme with Morecambe once an hour on Monday to Saturday. It reinstates a number of links lost following cutbacks by the county council in 2016 and Stagecoach a few years later, but is being operated as a commercial venture by the company.

The campaigners plan to join the bus due at Halton Community Centre at 10.38 on Monday for a celebratory ride to Morecambe. Members of Lancaster Bus Users’ Group are expected to join at other stops along the way.

The organisers would like to see as many people as possible join them to get the new service off to a good start. As well as Halton, passengers can join at Brookhouse, Black Bull at 1031, Caton, Station Hotel at 1033, Halton Camp at 1041, Beaumont Green (Whalley Road) at 1044, Skerton (Torrisholme Road) at 1046 and then all stops to Torrisholme, The Shrimp, Euston Road and Central Drive to Morecambe bus station.

Buses return from Morecambe every hour at one minute past the hour until 1931. The maximum £3 fare cap applies and concessionary passes (NoW Cards) are accepted.