Bus timetables in Covid-19 shake-up
BUS timetables in Runcorn and Widnes have been overhauled as the nation starts to wake up from lockdown.
Arriva North West said it was updating its services and ‘expanding’ most of its coverage across Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Halton.
Key changes for Halton include the relaunch of the 982 Runcorn to Liverpool Airport service, which is earmarked to stop at Shopping City, in Beechwood and in Widnes. The popular X1 express service will remain out of action and is not being reinstated after being dropped at the start of lockdown.
Runcorn’s main direct service to Liverpool city centre is now the 500, which used to travel once an hour has been increased from May 31 onwards, and now sets off every half hour.
With a journey time of over one hour and 30 minutes, commuters will face a three-hour daily round trip from Runcorn new town to the city centre on the 500.
The 500 travels between Murdishaw and Liverpool One, with stops including Shopping City, Runcorn High Street, Widnes Green Oaks, Coronation Drive, Hale Village and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
The X30 between Chester and Warrington will still run a direct hourly service stopping in Runcorn.
Widnes residents can use the 79c and 79 service to head to Liverpool, making the journey in around an hour and 14 minutes.
Other key changes and updates include:
Halton Lea circular 1 and service 2 will go from hourly to every 12 minutes
Halton Hospital circular services 3A and 3C will go from hourly to every 30 minutes
The 14A Hough Green to Murdishaw remains hourly
Service 110 Windmill Hill to Warrington will go from hourly to every 30 minutes
Service 61 Liverpool to Halton Hospital will go from hourly to every 40 minutes, and makes the complete journey in two hours and 25 minutes.
Service 62 Murdishaw to Halebank currently not running, will be reinstated running hourly
The 200 Runcorn industrial circular has run normal throughout and will continue to do so.
Arriva said it has introduced social distancing measures on all of its buses.
Its buses now have a revised capacity, seats within two metres of the driver are taped off and a no-standing policy will be in place.
Wheelchair spaces will always remain available.
If customers can, they are asked to wear a facecovering when social distancing is not possible.
When revised capacities are met, buses will show a ‘bus full’ sign and drivers will only stop to let passengers get off.
Where you see the ‘Bus Full’ sign, the bus will only stop when passengers want to get off, if the bus stops only one passenger will be able to board for every passenger that disembarks, and passengers are advised to be prepared to wait and help others by prioritising those who need to travel more urgently.
Phil Stone, Arriva regional managing director for Arriva, said: “At Arriva we are committed to running vital services to support workers and people needing to undertake essential journeys at this time.
“Rest assured that during these times of change we are continually monitoring service levels in line with demand and will, wherever we can, adapt our services to meet this.
“We urge all those needing to travel to only use public transport if necessary and to check our website at arrivabus. co.uk/coronavirus for upto-date advice and bus times before they travel.
“I am extremely proud of all of my colleagues for their efforts in adapting our timetables and providing essential travel to help to keep the country moving as we fight the coronavirus together.”