£750,000 to help put buses back on road

TRANSPORT bosses say buses will be getting a big boost in July thanks to an extra £750,000 being invested by Lancashire County Council (LCC).

For Hyndburn passengers a Monday to Saturday daytime service link between Clitheroe, Whalley, Great Harwood, Rishton, Accrington, Oswaldtwistle and Royal Blackburn Hospital will be restored.

On Sundays and Bank Holidays a daytime service between Rawtenstall, Water and Burnley and Rawtenstall, Haslingden and Blackburn will also be reintroduced.

County Hall received the extra funding following a successful bid to the Department for Transport’s ‘A better deal for bus users’ programme.

The investment will aim to address a number of outstanding requests for bus services received from residents, local councillors and MPs, as well as building on improvements introduced in December 2017 when the council increased its annual budget for buses.

While the current advice is to only use buses where absolutely necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus, LCC recognises that they still play a vital part in keeping people connected, providing access to local services, employment, health and education.

The county council’s supported bus service network has resumed normal operation, after initially operating to a Saturday timetable at the beginning of lockdown.

County Coun Andrew Snowden, lead member for buses, said: “While there are still restrictions on using public transport at the moment, these improvements meet a number of requests from communities for better connections and will help to support our economy as Lancashire begins to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.”

The improvements are due to be introduced from July 19. Full details and how they tie in with existing tendered bus services will be available once they have been finalised shortly.