In our previous post on developments to Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire's services between Lancaster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Settle and Skipton we missed one interesting change. In reporting the diversion of the journeys that extend to and from Ripley School in Lancaster via Wennington and Wray we overlooked the fact that one evening journey will also be re-routed this way.
The 1745 Skipton to Lancaster journey (the 1915 from Kirkby Lonsdale) already has a non-standard route from Kirkby, running via Tunstall and Melling and following the same route as Stagecoach's service 81, albeit two hours later than Stagecoach's last departure. From 26th October, this journey will be diverted at Melling to run via Wennington and Wray, rejoining the standard 582 route at Hornby.
In our defence, the operator still has no information about the forthcomoing changes on its website, whilst Lancashire County Council's October Service Changes Bulletin also failed to report the revision (perhaps due to late notification by KLCH). The Traffic Commissioner's "Notices & Proceedings", which we also rely on, merely records "applications" for changes and gives no detail of them.
The BUG is happy to see any additional services to Wennington and Wray, which suffered badly in the County Council's 2016 cutbacks. The new journey will allow them to reach Lancaster in the evenings, but what is still missing - and what local people really want - is a bus to bring them home again!
