LLRA has been alerted to a likely change in bus operator for the St Georges and West End bus service. Current operator, PC Coaches, has given notice to Lincolnshire County Council that it is withdrawing from operating the St George’s service completely at the end of May 2018. The service currently receives some financial support from Lincolnshire County Council to assist PC coaches in serving the West End and St Georges.
Feedback from Lincolnshire County Council is that it is their intention to provide a replacement bus service when the current service ends. It is possible the route may go out to tender and there is a potential risk that any replacement service could make changes to route and timetable. The County Council are currently surveying the service and how it is used.
LLRA has raised concerns with our County and City Councillors about the importance of maintaining this service and will be kept updated on the situation by the County Council. We will share any further news as we receive it.
THE ST GEORGES BUS ROUTE
a} the subsidy that has been given to PC Coaches for a number of years is being withdrawn – told that if PC Coaches did wish to continue the bus route by putting in their tender, and Lincolnshire County Council agrees, the subsidy would not be the full amount – hence so far, no decision!
b) Stage Coach has no interest in the St Georges bus route
c) the bus route between Lincoln and Saxilby run by PC Coaches will remain with subsidy
d) the route between Lincoln and Saxilby and visa versa will not be changed to include Long Leys Road
e) surveys current and in the past have revealed the St Georges route shows very few passengers using it
f) the route is not financially viable
g) without the subsidy the route would have been abandoned and terminated
h) no other bus/coach company would operate the service without the route being subsidized
i) to operate the St Georges bus route means that the new contract is to go out for tender which is most likely to have no bids
j) if there is a St Georges bus route, West Parade will be excluded and the route will follow Yarborough Road, The Avenue, Newland then onto the Bus Station and visa versa
k) buses will not be frequent and also there will be a limited time table
l) the only people seen using the present bus route has been a few local residents, pensioners using their bus passes, and patients from Discovery House which are far and few between
The overall picture if St Georges bus route folds will be that local residents will have to use their cars in getting into the city centre, travel by taxi, or having to walk across the West Common The same applies to those who shop in the Burton Road area.
The emphasis is that if the bus route is not used then people will lose it. Once gone it will not be introduced again.
This impact does not include the new Tanglewood Care Home that is currently being built. This includes customers using the care home, staff, and visitors. The knock on effect is that the care home has limited parking so car parking in the grounds of the care home may be a problem later where folk will be looking for parking spaces in the Long Leys Road area.
So this is just a summary about the situation occurring and hopefully the St Georges bus route will remain, otherwise the future does not look good!
THE NEWS BUS STATION IN LINCOLN
The City of Lincoln Council has told me there will be no improvements for the Passenger Terminal with extra seating and no seating along side of the rails. The reasoning behind this is that buses drop of passengers and passengers then get on to their destinations. The whole area is treated as BUS STOPS for each bay where buses and coaches park- off and on system with doors opening and shutting!
No heating will be provided for the terminal as due to the layout and the long corridor. Also the arrivals and departures are subject to a time table and whereby the buses and coaches had the use of 14 bays at the temporary bus station on Tendercroft Street, there are only 12 bays for the new bus station which is considered sufficient.
THE ST GEORGES BUS ROUTE
The subsidy amount given by Lincolnshire County Council to PC Coaches during the financial year has been the following…
For operating the bus service Monday to Friday the figure has been £1272. per month.
For operating the bus service each Saturday has been £95.00 per Saturday.
PC Coaches has officially have now withdrawn from operating the St Georges bus route.
What happens next is that the bus route will go out to tender for bus operators to consider and apply. Depending on surveys which are underway, the route may be amended together with a new timetable. This will involve a new subsidy amount and depends on any agreement between the County Council and the bus operator.
PC Coaches who are withdrawing from the St Georges bus route has made a statement to the Lincolnite as shown here on
https://thelincolnite.co.uk/2018/03/lincoln-st-georges-no-5-bus-stop-running-may/
The four local councillors and Lincoln’s MP have so far not made any comments about the situation.
Care to join the traffic queues on Yarborough Road when the bus routs folds as I will be doing having to use my car in getting to into town and to the Burton Road shops!
Privately owned Hodsons Coaches who have a fleet of vehicles to use will not be putting in a tender for the St Georges bus route. They have gone bust!
See link on https://thelincolnite.co.uk/2018/04/hodson-coaches-liquidation-confirmed/
So with no interest from other companies it appears that local residents will be stranded, and if fortunate to have a car, will have to join the long queues on Yarborough Road/ Carholme Road in getting into town plus having to pay the increase in car parking charges later!