Lancaster Bus Users' Group

Bus Users’ Group members gathered at Lancaster bus station to welcome a special passenger visiting the city as part of a fund-raising bus trip around England and Wales.

They met Andrew Cowell, known as “The £2 bus man” , after similar exploits, as he arrived on the last of the seven buses he had used to travel from his home in Derby.

The Mayor of Lancaster, Cllr Abi Mills, accompanied by the Deputy Mayor, Hamish Mills, both Bus Users’ Group members, presented him with a cheque for £115 from Group members towards the charity “The Railway Children” which helps disadvantaged street-children in developing countries

Mr. Cowell, 47, was making the journey as part of a 13-day trip around the coast of England and Wales using 84 buses to raise funds for the charity, as well as to promote the current £2 cap on bus fares that meant that this journey from Derby had cost just £14.

Cllr. Mills, who is also Vice-Chair of the Bus Users’ Group, said:

          “It was an honour to meet someone so dedicated both to charitable work and to bus travel and to welcome them to our city. Whilst no-one would seriously suggest using local buses for such long-distance journeys, Andrew’s travels highlight just how extensive and comprehensive this country’s bus network is. Despite coming all the way from Derby, he arrived exactly on time, which shows that buses can be reliable too.

Mr. Cowell was set to continue his journey the following day on the 555 service to Keswick and a further series of buses that would take him via Newcastle and on to Scarborough. He then intended to continue around the east and south coasts of England to the west country before returning via Wales.

Morecambe’s missing bus shelter, for Lancaster-bound buses at The Battery, has finally been replaced by advertising contractors, Clear Channel.

The shelter was demolished in a collision with a road vehicle (not a bus!) in December 2021, since when passengers have endured three wet and windy winters waiting for buses in this exposed location. Campaigns by the Bus Users’ Group and local councillors for a speedy replacement have been unsuccessful until now.

But with summer 2024 on its way its replacement has finally arrived – and a special replacement it is: – Morecambe’s first “living-roof” or bee-friendly bus shelter!

According to Clear Channel, the advertising contractor that provided the shelter, “Living roof bus shelters are planted with a mix of 13 native wildflower and five sedum species to aid and support bees and other pollinators that have been in decline in recent years. The thoughtfully-designed shelters contribute towards climate resistance, absorb rainwater falling on the roof, help to reduce the ‘Urban Heat Island Effect’, capture particulates from the air, and help make the city a greener and happier place”.

A second bee-friendly shelter is expected to arrive shortly at the Aldi stop on Morecambe promenade, whilst the seat from the shelter it replaces is expected to find a new home in Lancaster at the busy stop outside Sainsbury’s following a request from the Bus Users’ Group.