How to be a Bus Passenger!

Bus Users, the national bus passengers' organisation, has published a code showing passengers how they can help the bus driver - and their fellow passengers - to enjoy a safe and pleasant journey

A 10 point Passenger Code from Bus Users

1   Pay attention at stops
Keep an eye out for your bus and monitor any real-time information. When a bus approaches, signal clearly whether you want to board or not – a wasted stop takes up valuable travel time. If you have a mobility issue or a visual impairment, use and check mobile apps and stand near the front of the stop so the driver can see you.

2   Form an orderly queue
When your bus arrives, give people the space to disembark and wait your turn to board. People with mobility issues, hidden disabilities or mental health issues may struggle, so give everyone the time and space to board safely.

3   Have our tickets, passes, contactless cards or apps ready before you board
You can save time by having your ticket or payment ready, and holding your pass flat on the card reader. If someone does hold up the queue, be patient – you have no idea what they might be dealing with and getting angry or irritated won’t help.

4   Move to your seat as quickly as possible
Some drivers wait until passengers are seated before moving off, so make your way directly to a seat when you board. If you see someone struggling, offer to help if you feel able to.

5   Make way
If you have to stand for your journey, make sure there’s a clear path to the door for people trying to board or exit. If you have luggage, don’t leave it unattended in a wheelchair space.

6   Give priority to passengers who need it
If you’re in a priority seat, or you have a seat on a crowded bus, make sure you offer it to anyone who looks like they may need it. Some needs are hidden, so if you’re asked to give up your seat and you’re able to move, move.

7   Keep your belongings close
Putting your coat or bags on a spare seat in an empty bus is fine. But if the bus is filling up, don’t wait to be asked to move your belongings.

8   Don’t pollute
Avoid anything likely to impact other passengers, like listening to loud music or talking loudly on the phone, watching videos with inappropriate content or eating strong-smelling food.

9   Get ready to get off
Ring the bell, just once, as far in advance of your stop as is practical. When the bus stops, exit quickly but safely and if you can, offer to help other passengers if you think they may need it.

10   Thank the driver
Driving a bus is a demanding job. Saying thank you is a small gesture that makes a big difference.

If something goes wrong with your journey that’s beyond your control, contact the operator. If you’re not happy with their response get in touch with us.

(Locally, you can ask Lancaster Bus Users Group for help via this link)

Stagecoach's New Winter Timetable for the Lakes

Today, Monday 28th October, sees the start of the Stagecoach Winter timetable for the Lake District and, as usual, the company has issued a comprehensive booklet containing details of its services throughout the area. The 62-page booklet comes complete with a fold out map and plentiful information on attractions that can be reached by bus as well as, naturally, a full set of timetables.

The Summer edition caused consternation locally when it omitted a number of "peripheral" services including the 755 Morecambe - Bowness route. The BUG is therefore pleased to report that it has been reinstated in the new edition as has the 554 Keswick to Carlisle service.  Service 563 (Penrith to Appleby) is still excluded although, like 554 and 755 it was never removed from the map. 

What's Changed?

There are the usual service reductions for the Winter period. Service 6 (Barrow to Ambleside) loses its Sunday journeys and the 77 (Keswick - Buttermere) is completely suspended until the spring.  The 78 (Keswick - Seatoller) is reduced from 2 buses per hour to one albeit with a slightly longer operating day and more journeys than last year.

There are the usual Winter reductions on the 505 between Ambleside and Coniston with the hourly summer service down to six journeys a day Monday to Saturday and three on Sunday.

A busy 555 at Windermere station

Lancaster's link to the Lakes - the 555 to Keswick -  sees the usual changes to the evening and Sunday timetable with the last two departures from Lancaster only proceeding beyond Kendal on Friday and Saturday nights and then only by connection.  The Sunday journeys, whilst remaining at five per day from Lancaster, depart an hour later. This means that the first departure from the city is not until 1020, reaching Ambleside at 1220 and Keswick at 1314.  Return trips, however, run at the same times as during the summer with the last through bus to Lancaster leaving Keswick at 1530 and Ambleside at 1619.  Lancaster passengers fancying a visit to Ambleside can spend a maximum of four hours there in return for almost the same amount of bus travel whilst anyone going to Keswick must spend almost five-and-three-quarter hours on the bus to enjoy two hours and sixteen minutes in the town!

Service 755 does provide an earlier Sunday morning journey northwards, leaving the Battery at 0834 and Morecambe, Euston Road at 0842  but it would be a brave passenger from Lancaster who attempted to make the only possible connection, which is by service 1A arriving at 0840!  (We did, however, have at least one member sufficiently brave to try this last winter and he reported that it worked!, but perhaps something for Stagecoach's planners to look at for next year?

The BUG is, however, pleased to see that some considerable time after it was brought to Stagecoach's attention the timing point on both the 555 and the 755 at "Pine Lake", the timeshare resort just north of Carnforth, has been given its correct, singular, description (There is only one lake - and that is a former gravel pit).

And whilst we are pleased to see that the 755 is back in the book we still think Stagecoach is missing a trick when it comes to generating some passengers for it. The Lakes by Bus booklet doesn't have a proper index or list of services, relying instead on a series of "Explore from...." articles for each of the major centres to promote available buses.  755 appears on the "Explore from Kendal" page but only as a means of visiting Windermere, also served rather more frequently by the 555.

Judging by the timetable, service 755 appears to have been designed to appeal to two distinct markets: passengers from Morecambe wishing to visit Kendal or the Lakes  AND passengers travelling in the opposite direction to enjoy a day out on the coast in Morecambe.  But "Lakes by Bus" makes no mention, other than on the 755 timetable itself, that Morecambe can be reached by bus directly from Windermere and Kendal and by connection from other places. As the booklet is the only promotion that the 755 receives its a shame that the services full potential is not highlighted.

Christmas and New Year in Cumbria 

Service X5 at Keswick

In recent years Stagecoach has led the way amongst UK bus operators in reinstating services on Boxing Day, which had almost disappeared across the country. The company's Lake District operation now offers almost a full Sunday service on that day, including on the 555 to Lancaster and 755 to Morecambe.  Only the 508 between Penrith and Patterdale is advertised as "Sunday" only  although there is perhaps a little confusion in the case of the X4 / X5 Workington-Keswick-Penrith services, which apparently run on "Sundays including Public Holidays", which is ambiguous to say the least. Boxing Day is a Thursday in 2019 so the implication is for No Service given that other routes specifically say "Sundays and Boxing Day". It also implies that in a year when Boxing Day falls on a Sunday as it will in 2021 then the X4 and X5 will run.

On the other hand, the X4 / X5 service on other days on the week is advertised as "Mondays to Saturdays excluding public holidays" and the BUG wonders whether "Sundays including Public Holidays" could mean "Sundays and Public Holidays", although that raises the question of Christmas Day and New Year's Day!  Perhaps someone from Stagecoach will let us know so that we can issue a clarification!

New Year's Day has also been a no-go area for bus services ever since it became a public holiday in 1974. But again, Stagecoach has seen an opportunity for a service on that day catering for visitors to the Lakes on its 599 service between Windermere, Bowness and Ambleside with a one-bus, one-driver timetable offering five journeys a day, one of which runs through to and from Kendal. For 2020 the service is extended to Grasmere, requiring a second bus and driver. Six journeys will now reach Grasmere with two more running between Bowness and Ambleside. The second bus will provide an additional mornimg journey northwards from Kendal, although only one of the buses will return there in service.

The BUG is pleased to end this review on a positive note. "Lakes by Bus" is an impressive, high-quality publication. The very appearance of such a booklet and its widespread distribution and easy availability in both electronic and print format is very welcome, especially at a time when some other operators, including neighbouring Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancs, appear to have given up trying to tell their passengers where the buses go altogether other than via the internet.

The booklet is available in Lancaster at the Bus Station Travel Shop, the Visitor Information Centre at The Storey in the city centre and Lancaster Library.  Or click the image below to take a peek online.

Service 582: Further Update

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!