A series of proposed changes to bus services across Liverpool City Region have been confirmed as a public consultation begins.
The combined authority (CA) has published plans put forward by operators to change public transport frequency across five of the six council areas from September 4. The changes are proposed as bus operators responds to challenges posed by reduced passenger numbers and rising inflation.
On its specialist website documenting the proposed changes, the CA said: “Funding from central government, which has been supporting bus services, is due to end in the autumn of this year. As a consequence of this, it is proposed that changes to bus services in Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral are introduced on 4th September 2022.
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“While some services have seen a good rate of recovery in passenger numbers since the removal of Covid-19 restrictions, others have not. This means that they may require changes to their route or timetable to allow them to remain sustainable.”
Dozens of changes have been proposed across the five boroughs, including a number of reductions to services into Liverpool city centre on weekends, two services withdrawn in St Helens while some routes between Knowsley and Liverpool will be changed. Some services are also being reduced in Sefton.
The 10A service between Liverpool and St Helens will increase to a 7-8 minute frequency from Monday to Saturday and every 10 minutes on Sundays. The 17 service will replace the withdrawn X3 between Aintree Hospital and Kirkby Industrial Estate and will provide connections to and from other services along sections of the X3 route.
More than a dozen services across the combined authority region will have services reduced, mostly on evenings and weekends, with 16 impacted across Liverpool alone, including the 80A to Liverpool Airport cut back to every 40 minutes and a reduction of frequencies between Halewood and Bellevale on the 79. Following the two week consultation, a new timetable will be published on August 1 to come in effect a month later.
The move comes after it was announced earlier this month that single bus journey fares would be cut to £2 and confirmation of franchising as the preferred model for running the network. Changes to amend services in Liverpool have been criticised by Cllr Liz Makinson, Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson.
She said: “In many parts of Liverpool the elderly, disabled, and people on low incomes are going to find themselves increasingly isolated with only an hourly bus service. Those who can afford it will simply give up on public transport all together.
“Earlier this month the Labour Metro Mayor promised to revolutionise bus journeys on Merseyside, but these latest proposals will just take us backwards. The mayor is using £12 Million of taxpayers money to knock 30-40p off the cost of a bus ticket.
“While this is a small step towards making bus travel more affordable, there needs to be more than a token bus service. Ensuring a decent regular service should have been a condition of handing this money to bus companies.”
The list of full proposed changes can be found online at lcrbusreview.commonplace.is
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