Lancaster District Bus Users Group have put a proposal to County, for funding additional services from the the £2m they have reserved for this purpose. Personally I am astounded, no – fuming – at the impertinence of the suggestions that the LDBUG have put forward.
They have made no suggestions regarding the Gressingham, Arkholme and Whittington Service. However they have suggested the reinstatement of a bus, every hour between Lancaster and Hornby, ON SUNDAYS.
So – we loose everything and Hornby are reward with a Sunday service of 11 buses.
In addition there will be one 81 bus every day (which would normally come to Kirkby via Melling, going instead only to Wennington, so that people getting the train back to Manchester have a bus from Lancaster to catch it.
http://lancsbus.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/lancaster-bug-to-submit-proposals-to.html
Just to put the record straight, the Bus Users’ Group has asked that a daytime service be provided along the route of the present 81A that would allow residents to get to Kirkby Lonsdale and Lancaster.
I do accept your comment. The page concerned was not immediately obvious to me when I posted the original blog. However. We are not asking County to provide more money, for our side of the valley, but to send the 81 up our side and not through Melling. We have a larger population, and pay more Council Tax than the opposite bank of the Lune.
I believe that the current state of Loyne Bridge, and the fact that it floods for three or four days every year, are impacting more on Stagecoach than the loadings down the two routes (which they refuse to share with us).
However it would also be acceptable if the two hourly run was equally divided.
I think alternating the 81 between the two sides of the valley would be a good idea, and shouldn’t have significant cost implications once the bridge reopens. This shouldn’t detract from needs lower down the valley though, where bus use is much higher, and significant numbers use the bus to get to work. You cant tell people who work in shops, care establishments, restaurants etc they cant work on Sundays. Usually no one gets on or off the bus between Hornby and Kirkby during evenings and Sundays…
You are quite right Jon. When the Dragons Head was open ,in Whittington, the use of the bus between Kirkby and Whittington, and vice versa, was well supported, particularly on Sundays.
Simon Nutter is doing his best to get the “Drag” re-opened very soon. That would have a dramatic effect on the bus service. Nowadays people do not want to drink and drive. In rural areas the only alternative to breaking the law (and being a pillock) is to use the bus.