Commuters advised to plan ahead

COMMUTERS from Halton travelling around the Liverpool City Region are being urged to plan their journeys and check before they travel ahead of planned industrial action on bus services over the next month.

Strike action is due to affect Arriva bus services on Monday, November 13, Monday, November 20, and Monday, November 27. Unite and GMB members will be taking to the picket lines.

Merseyrail and Northern rail services were also due to be affected by strikes by the RMT union on Wednesday, November 8. Bus services by other operators including Stagecoach are due to run as normal.

Advice being issued to Runcornians and Widnesians travelling around the Liverpool City Region includes sticking to public transport, considering if journeys are essential and make alternative arrangements if possible.

Those who travel by car are advised to travel outside peak times and consider car sharing, and to leave more time for journeys.

Merseytravel chief executive Frank Rogers said: “We’re working closely with transport providers to support the travelling public and will continue to provide as much information as possible.

“We are once again calling on our customers, both local and from further afield, to help keep the City Region moving by checking timetables and planning journeys whether it’s by rail, bus, ferry or car.”

Arriva North West regional managing director Phil Stone, said: “We would like to reassure customers that we will continue to do all we can to resolve the situation and wholeheartedly apologise for the inconvenience that this will cause. We want to also remind them to continue to check their routes before they travel.”

Stagecoach Merseyside, Chester and South Lancashire managing director Rob Jones said: “Our services will be running as normal on the strike days, with increased capacity where possible on key routes. “We expect our services to be busier than usual but rest assured we will be doing all that we can to keep passengers moving.”