We're making some big improvements to bus services in Lancashire over the next few years with the aim of encouraging people to leave their cars at home and travel by bus. We want to make services more frequent, reliable and affordable, with better information for passengers and a simpler fares which are easier to understand.

Working with local bus operators and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, we have been granted Department for Transport funding of £41.9m to support our bus service improvement plan (BSIP).

Our BSIP includes a range of measures to make buses better and help to create a network of buses which more people use for regular journeys.

These improvements, due to be delivered from 2022 to 2025, include:

  • Simpler cheaper fares
  • Multi-Modal, Multi-Operator ticket across the Fylde Coast
  • Bus priority measures – bus lanes and changes to traffic junctions to make journeys quicker and more reliable
  • A number of bus service enhancements

We will carry out public consultation on any bus priority measures which require changes to existing traffic regulations, and this page will be updated with more information as the schemes are designed and developed. The list of agreed bus priority schemes  can be found in our Enhanced Partnership document (PDF 1.15 MB).

Upcoming bus priority schemes

The latest bus priority schemes which are currently under development or being consulted on.

Already introduced

A number of improvements have already been delivered as part of our BSIP:

National Bus Strategy

We have agreed an Enhanced Partnership Scheme, which sets out how we will work closely with bus operators to develop improvements to services which complement the delivery of our Bus Service Improvement Plan.

Following consultation with bus operators, the Enhance Partnership Executive Board approved an updated version of the Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme on 11 January 2024. The update primarily reflects developments within the bus industry in Lancashire since the previous update in November 2022. It additionally outlines the progress made to date on BSIP funded projects.

Bus Service Change Consultations

As part of the Enhanced Partnership and associated Bus Passenger Charter, Lancashire County Council and bus operators will consult on any proposed changes to bus services whereby:

  1. A bus service is proposed to be withdrawn without replacement or only replaced in part by another service meaning a loss of existing journey opportunities;
  2. A bus service is proposed to be re-routed without replacement or only replaced in part by another service meaning a loss of existing journey opportunities;
  3. A bus service is proposed to have a reduction in early morning or evening journeys;
  4. A bus service is proposed to have a reduction in daytime frequency.

The exception is in emergency circumstances where the change is only expected to be temporary e.g. road closure, unforeseen reduction in available resources etc.

The consultation as a minimum will cover:

  1. The proposed changes in simple to understand language with an explanation for the reason for the change;
  2. Any mitigations to be put in place or an explanation of how other existing services provide alternative options for those currently using the affected service; and
  3. Details of how to respond to the consultation including the deadline for responses.

Lancashire County Council's bus service changes and consultation page will either host the consultation or provide a link to the bus operator's own consultation web page.

Documents