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| Service 89 leaving the Centenary Building stop at the Infirmary. |
The last remaining bus service to use the stop at the Centenary Buildings at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary has been withdrawn following problems with access to the site. Service 89 (Lancaster - Knott End-on-Sea) operated by Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire, was the last of a number of routes run under contract to Lancashire County Council to serve the stop; the others being withdrawn in the cuts of April 2016.
Buses have had difficulty in gaining access to the stop, which is situated in a narrow cul-de-sac off the main access road, for some time due to inconsiderate parking by taxis and other road users, but recently these have been getting worse. Buses have had to reverse back out onto the access road on a regular basis with bus drivers being subjected to abuse by drivers of parked cars and taxis obstructing the stop and refusing to move.
The company certainly has evidence to back up its case:
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Images (c) Kirby Lonsdale Coach Hire
The BUG understands that following discussions between the operator, the county council and the Hospitals Trust, an understanding was reached that unless the situation improved by last Friday (22nd November) the service would be re-routed and the stop no longer served. The bus stop is protected by waiting restrictions and "bus stop clearway" markings but enforcement has been non-existent possibly because the road concerned is not classified as public highway.
In a statement to the Group, Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire said: "The last two weeks have seen no improvement. Therefore, until effective parking restrictions and management are in place our buses will not be serving the site. We are fully aware that it is important to maintain a link to the hospital, but this can not be at the expense of safety".
The BUG's own observations have confirmed the problems faced by buses and have also thrown up the fact that very few passengers are actually carried to or from the Centenary Building stop, whilst the necessary diversion to serve it adds extra time to other passengers' journeys, especially when problems are encountered.
With effect from last Saturday, 23rd November, service 89 buses have remained on the A588 and A6 roads, serving the Infirmary from the stops on South Road already used by all other services in the area. Although officially "temporary", Lancashire County Council is understood to be "closing" the bus stop until further notice. The South Road stops are within reasonable walking distance from the Centenary Building, although southbound passengers will need to cross the A6 to reach the stop.
