Category: Uncategorized

Sunday, 29th June sees the start of “University Holidays” timetables on Stagecoach services to Lancaster University. This year however, as well as the usual reductions to services 1, 4 and X4, there are more significant revisions affecting the Alexandra Park section of the campus.

Service 100 will, during university holidays, be curtailed to operate only as far as the University Underpass, whilst the 1/1A will be extended around the Alexandra Park loop in its place as announced by Lancashire County Council on its website. It is not clear from the council website, but the Bus Users’ Group understands that these changes to the 1/1A and 100 will apply on Monday to Saturday only. On Sunday, when the 1A doesn’t serve the University at all during the holidays, the 100 will continue over its full route includingh Alexandra Park.

The county council does not spell out the implications of the change, which are that are that as service 1 is itself cut back to operate only between Heysham and Lancaster City Centre in the holidays, the daytime service to Alexandra Park on the 1A is reduced from the current four buses per hour on the 100 to three. During the evenings there will be no service at all between the city centre and Alexandra Park other than occasional journeys on services 41 to Preston and 42 to Blackpool.

Stagecoach may feel that reducing the service to the largely residential part of the campus during times when fewer students are likely to be living there is a sensible economy, but it introduces an extra layer of complexity into timetables that are already complicated and difficult to sell to the travelling public, especially those that have no connection with the university and no knowledge of term and holiday dates.

Passengers waiting for buses at the stops in Common Garden Street in Lancaster city centre should find it a more comfortable experience following the installation of new seating by Lancashire County Council.

This replaces the previous benches that many passengers found uncomfortable and difficult to use due to their low positioning and lack of armrests.

The need for the new seats was recognised by Lancaster City councillors, who asked LBUG member and city councillor Abi Mills to pursue the matter in her role as the council’s disability champion. After much research and extensive consultation with potential users the “Broxap Ilford” design (illustrated above) was chosen.

However, with both the city and county councils strapped for cash and the Marketgate Centre’s owners not seeing it as their role, the project was held up due to lack of funding.

Lancaster Bus Users’ Group was able to identify the Bus Service Improvement Plan, administered by the “Enhanced Partnership” of bus operators and councils in Lancashire, as a potential source and an application for funding proved successful.

Another example of the Bus Users’ Group working together with the city and county councils to improve facilities for passengers,