Friday, 22 July 2022

Stagecoach Tweaks Summer Holiday Changes Following Feedback from Bus Users' Group

 

An extra bus will run from Hala following a request to Stagecoach

The new "summer holiday" timetables on service 100 (University - Morecambe) have been tweaked following an approach from the Bus Users' Group.

Following publication of the revised timings on our website, the Group was approached by passengers who found that the new timetable made it harder for them to get to work.  Specifically, the changes had removed two consecutive journeys in the morning travel-to-work time between Hala, Bowerham and Lancaster, with no buses through Bowerham between 0640 and 0815.

However, when the Group approached Stagecoach, the company swiftly agreed to insert an extra bus into the timetable, leaving Hala Square at 0740, Bowerham Hotel at 0746 and arriving at Lancaster bus station at 0757 in time to make the connection for the 0800 journey on to Morecambe.

This is not the first time that Stagecoach has agreed to make last-minute changes to its timetables in response to requests from our Group and shows that it can be responsive to requests from the public. It would, of course, be better if there were a formal consultation process in place before changes were made and this might well happen under the proposed "Enhanced Partnership" between bus operators and the County Council, but in the meantime the Bus Users' Group is happy to bring any issues to the company's attention, although we can't guarantee success every time!

The revised temporary timetable is here.

Service 18

Stagecoach has also confirmed to us that during the six-week period that Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire will be operating service 18 on its behalf, the full range of Stagecoach tickets will be valid and passengers will be able to buy Day Riders and Mega Riders from KLCH drivers that will be valid on Stagecoach buses within the usual area of validity.