Bus routes set to be extended in Preston

Campaigners are 'delighted' after Preston Bus announced it was extending routes due to customer feedback.
Coun Christine AbramCoun Christine Abram
Coun Christine Abram

Major changes to services were made in April 2016 and now more alterations will take place from September 5.

A key change is to Service 88 – in response to feedback, including from Lea and Cottam Parish Council, this service will now extend to the Larches estate, via Lea Road, Blackpool Road, Larches Lane and Greaves Town Lane.

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Councillor Christine Abram said: “We’re delighted. We’ve met with them (Preston Bus) twice and the meetings have been positive.

“It looks like they’ve listened to what we said and it’s good for the residents, we’ve gained some ground.”

However, to accommodate the changes, the frequency will be reduced to 30 minutes from 20 minutes and resources currently used to serve Fulwood Academy will integrated into the 88 timetable to retain a 25 minute frequency at peak time.

Also, due to “very low levels of ridership”, service 88 will be withdrawn after 7.30pm on all day on Saturdays. Preston Bus said: “The service primarily caters for passengers travelling to employment or education, or hospital appointments, of which there are very few on Saturdays.”

Other key changes include:

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- Service 6 from Preston Bus Station to Red Scar via Brookfield operating every 12 minutes instead of every 10 due to congestion.

- Service 12 from Preston city centre to Longton: a later journey will be introduced from Preston, Lune Street at 6.16pm Monday-Saturday. A journey from Longton to Preston at 5.15pm will be withdrawn to ensure the subsequent outbound journey is punctual. The Friday and Saturday journey at 10.30pm from Preston will also be extended to serve Preston Bus Station before Lune Street.

- Service 14/14A City Centre to Longsands: The first journey from Longsands Lane will be withdrawn.

- Service 19 from City Centre to Royal Preston Hospital: an additional early morning journey will be introduced to arrive at RPH before 6am.

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In the evening, minor changes have been made to the schedule which should mean that as one bus leaves the hospital, another arrives, meaning passengers are not forced to wait outside. On Saturdays, buses will operate every 12 minutes instead of every 10, but will co-ordinate with service 6 to provide a six minute service between the Bus Station and the Deepdale.

Service 23: City Centre to Asda via Plungington Road and Black Bull Lane - the 11pm journey from Preston is extended to terminate at Longsands Lane. Furthermore, the midnight and 1am journeys on Fridays and Saturdays are extended to Sherwood (Barnacre Close) from the Black Bull.

Service 35: Earlier journeys to be introduced on Sundays.

Service 43: In response to feedback from staff/passengers of service 31, the service will return to its former route of operating via Blackpool Road and Lane Ends, instead of Lytham Road and Mill Lane.

Service X80/180/280 - Journey times throughout the day will be revised to improve the general punctuality of the service.

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