Getting Back to Normal

There have been two  three welcome developments in restoring normality to Lancaster's bus services this week.

   STOP PRESS: Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire has now told us that services 8 (Ryelands) 9 (Farmdale Road) and 580/1/2 (Lancaster-Kirkby Lonsdale-Skipton) will return to normal service (with minor modifications) from Monday, 20th July.

Timetable Displays

For the first time since lockdown Lancashire County Council has been able to produce updated roadside displays for its timetable cases at bus stops. Staff have been out and about throughout the Lancaster District this week updating the displays, which had become very out-of-date during the various changes to services made since lockdown began in March.

The move is especially welcome as it comes in time to help promote the new Sunday buses on city services to Vale, Ridge, Marsh and the East Lancaster Circle to Williamson Park as well as the routes to Kirkby Lonsdale via either side of the Lune Valley that start this Sunday.

Summer in the Lakes

The BUG also understands that from Monday 3rd August, Stagecoach will be introducing a full Summer service in the Lake District including the extra Motorway journeys on the 555 to Kendal and Keswick that were due to commence on 28th March. The summer timetable runs until 1st November. The usual "The Lakes by Bus" brochure was produced and distribution had started just before lockdown meant that its introduction had to be delayed. Presumably stocks are available, although with libraries, visitor centres and the bus station Travel Shop all closed your best chance of getting one is likely to be on a 555 or 755 bus.

New Normal

These changes mean that the area's buses are virtually back to where they were before lockdown began. Stagecoach services are fully back to normal, although there have been changes on services 7, 49, 55, 80 and 81 that are permanent and were due to be implemented irrerspective of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire services are still missing a couple of journeys on city routes 8 and 9 and the company's flagship service 582 to Kirkby Lonsdale and on to Skipton is still operating a reduced timetable. (See STOP PRESS) The new service 550 from Arnside to Morecambe, introduced just weeks before lockdown, remains suspended.

With changes to the capacity restrictions meaning there is now much more room available on buses and with all passengers required to wear face coverings along with other safety measures being taken, there really is no reason now for people to get back on baord and the BUG hopes to see the recent increase in the number of passengers travelling to continue over the rest of the summer.