The first Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP)-related improvements in Lancashire have been introduced with the bolstering of selected evening and weekend services in the county from 27 November.
A joint BSIP submission from Blackburn with Darwen Council and Lancashire County Council (LCC) was allocated £34.2m in the thus far only round of BSIP funding earlier in 2022. LCC says that extra journeys have been introduced to “a number of routes that are already popular during the daytime,” but where “evening and weekend connections were limited or non-existent.”
The local authority adds that the service uplifts represent a first phase of the joint BSIP programme to “make buses the best travel option for more people.” Improvements capture areas including Blackburn, Blackpool, Carnforth, Chorley, Clitheroe, Garstang, Heysham and Lancaster. Stagecoach and Transdev Blazefield are involved with operating the additional provision.
LCC Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport Cllr Rupert Swarbrick says: “Our aim is to get more people using buses by making them a more attractive and convenient option. The funding we have received for our BSIP gives us the chance to make some really significant improvements.
“We will be investing over £34m in our bus network and public transport infrastructure over the next three years, with the extra services introduced being just the start.
“These [services] are already very well used and operate on a commercial basis during the daytime Monday to Saturday. Introducing later evening and additional Sunday journeys extends the option of using the bus to people who want to travel at these times, whether they work late shifts, are visiting friends, or are going out for an evening’s entertainment.
“We will be working closely with operators to build passenger numbers with the aim of making these services commercially sustainable over the long term. I would encourage everyone to support them.”
