First the good news!
After a lengthy closure,the bus station tea bar/shop has re-opened under new ownership and is looking better than ever.
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| Our reporter received a warm welcome at the refurbished tea bar |
The counter and kitchen equipment have been completely renewed and, for the first time since Covid, customers are actually welcomed into the shop, rather than being served in the doorway. Opening hours are 0730 - 1700 on Monday to Friday and "possibly" 0900-1300 on Saturday. The refurbished facility certainly brightens up this corner of the bus station and we wish the new proprietors well.
More good news is that the toilets have also re-opened, although unfortunately there is no sign of refurbishment there!
Now the Bad News
The Bus Users' Group has been increasingly concerned about the graffiti that now covers much of the wall next to the Damside Street entrance. Owing to the failure of the city council to deal with this when it was first reported last year, the problem has got worse and worse and has become increasingly offensive.The following image has been doctored to remove the most offensive content!
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| The bus station entrance, hardly a good image for public transport, or Lancaster. |
The city council's Public Realm Department has promised that they "will action quickly", whilst the Cabinet Member responsible for the bus station told the Group "I think we would all agree that this needs removing at the earliest opportunity."
We have had promises of action before, but hopefully this time something will be done. The current initiatives by the government and Lancashire County Council to increase ridership by reducing fares and Stagecoach's forthcoming introduction of a fleet of new buses for service 555 are being undermined by the failure to deal with this problem.
