East Lancashire bus services face the axe (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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East Lancashire bus services face the axe
9:19am Friday 7th January 2011 in Ribble Valley news
OFF THE ROAD: Less well-used bus services are to be scrapped
BUS services across East Lancashire are to be cut as councils slash subsidies for services.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council last night revealed plans to axe £400,000 from its transport budget which includes subsidies to protect bus services and school travel.
It represents a 20 per cent reduction, and that means routes are likely to be merged, scaled back or even scrapped altogether.
No details have been provided on which may be affected, but subsidies pay for non-profitable services, such as to rural areas or estates.
Hours earlier Lancashire County Council had announced eight East Lancashire bus services were to be axed as it cuts up to £179million from its budget.
County council highways chief Tim Ashton said that he regretted the move, which will affect Accrington, Bacup, Baxenden, Clitheroe, Whalley, Blackburn, Rawtenstall and local Pendle routes.
Lancashire County Council bus cuts
234 Nelson - St John Thursby CC school journey. All services axed.
897 Burnley Glen View Road - St John Thursby CC school journey. All services axed.
16 Colne - Lenches -Bunkers Hill. Withdraw all services Mon-Sat daytime.
68 Nelson - Barrowford - Colne. Withdraw all services Mon-Sat daytime.
97 Nelson - Valley Mills. Withdraw all services Mon-Sat daytime.
98 Nelson - Marsden Heights. Withdraw all services Mon-Sat daytime.
573 Rawtenstall - Edgworth - Bolton. Sun & Bank Holidays during the day. Services axed to every two hours.
464 Rochdale - Bacup - Accrington. All evening services axed.
12 Spring Hill - Accrington - Baxenden. All services axed Mon-Sat during the daytime.
225 Clitheroe - Whalley - Blackburn. Sunday evening journeys axed.
03/280 Preston - Clitheroe - Skipton / Clitheroe - Low Moor Circular / Clitheroe - Waddington & West Bradford Circular. Reduce amount paid to bus company for services Mon-Sat daytime.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council bus cuts
Details yet to be announced.
Comments(10)
Lifeinthemix
says...
2:21pm Fri 7 Jan 11
Biffa Bacon
says...
5:48pm Fri 7 Jan 11
mysay.com
says...
6:33pm Fri 7 Jan 11
Michael@ClitheroeSince58
says...
6:37pm Fri 7 Jan 11
masher49
says...
7:35pm Fri 7 Jan 11
mysay.com wrote:"Let's have a subsidy so pensioners can use their passes on taxis".... do you REALLY think this government haven't looked at taking BACK your free pass? If the Conservatives had a bigger majority, it would already have been done.
and about time too, we have just had a huge outcry and now the entire country is suffering through major cutbacks because we have bailed out the banks, but we have been bailing out the busses for years, it has just been kept quiet, these subsidies are directly from your council tax, many times these busses are running with no customers, but the bus companies dont care, we are paying for it anyway, lets have a reduced but more efficient service, lets stop them causing congestion by parking half way in the road just because they cant park straight, and lets remove them from routes which are clearly not suitable for large vehicles, then people will once again have the right to park outside their own homes again without complaints from over-sized vehicles which shouldn't be there, lets have a subsidy for taxis or weekly rover tickets so that pensioners can use their passes on taxis.
unbelievable
says...
12:55am Sat 8 Jan 11
Some good posts - some not so impressive .
Please note I am not falling out with anyone , also I do not intend to get involved in a political discussion .
So.......
Why on earth are pensioners entitled to free travel on buses ?
I do know what i am talking about by the way , having been ( a long time ago ) a bus driver , though I still keep in touch with some lads who still do .
Let me firstly say that every single bus driver detests pensioners .
They whine , and complain .
The bus is too hot / cold .
It is 30 seconds early / late .
The windows are not clean enough .
I could continue .
So.......
Let us look at the (rude word) who travels on the outer circle , all the time . Nothing better to do I guess .
Absolute pain in the proverbial .
Let us look at the swarms who thought they could have a free day out to Blackpool and / or Fleetwood .
Leaving no room for the genuine passengers - who paid , because they were going to work .
Now - this was done when Liebour were desperately trying to get votes .
Sorry , should have said "buy" votes .
Hang on... why should pensioners have subsidised taxis ?
If you want something you pay for it .
I have to .
My wife has to .
Our kids have to .
We all pay into pension schemes .
To have a better standard of life , eventually .
We don 't expect charity .
Free bus passes ?
I would cancel the lot .
A-in-Lanc
says...
10:29am Sat 8 Jan 11
Bus prices have risen not only due to pensioners traveliing free, but because of rising fuel costs, which has hit everyone, so its understandable.
Buses are a much needed service, and people who want rid of them don't appreciate them. to put one aspect bluntly, some buses between Accy and Darwen are at full capacity at peak tiems with 65 people or so. Would you like one vehicle with 65 people, or 65 cars infront of you getting out of town?
Services can be reduced, to hourly, which will save a lot of money, but still leave people with a service, and if they know the times it leave, then the fact its hourly should'nt matter. Transdev should'nt withdraw routes from service altogether though.
GAC
says...
12:32pm Sat 8 Jan 11
go on cut the 464 service and when i cant get to or from work, can you guys pay for the taxi.
rossie
says...
12:24pm Wed 12 Jan 11
It must be added that, talking about a good standard of living, some transport companies want their drivers to have a healthier lifestyle, stop smoking and lose a stone or three. Some drivers have a large bulky frame that suggests that they don't exactly startve on their wages.
burner says...
1:36pm Fri 7 Jan 11