New Bus Station

[alsteph]

I was talking to a bus driver the other day and he informed me that the bus companies were being charged £125 per day to use the new bus station. He also mentioned that they will be charged £225 per day to use the new Blackburn bus station when it's finished. On top of this he said that ticket machines which the bus companies use were owned by the council and were rented out to the bus companies. He said that the Rosso buses were refusing to pay the charge and would not be using the new bus station.

[Restless]

I often question the logic behind the 'spot on' charge of £2.50 from outside the Castle to the Hare & Hounds...guess we will see an increase

[Neil]

If the Rosso buses refuse to use the bus station I hope they have their routes taken off them

[cashman]

Well i hope all companies refuse to pay the robbing gits.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I did hear that M&M and Pilkingtons were also not going to use the bus station because the charges were prohibitive.
I don't know how true this is, but if it is true then it looks like only transdev will be occupying stands and it makes a mockery of having a bus station.
Surely all this should have been hammered out with the companies before the project went ahead.

[accyman]

looks like maundy grange will be taking over a new property soon with ample parking

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I did hear that M&M and Pilkingtons were also not going to use the bus station because the charges were prohibitive.
I don't know how true this is, but if it is true then it looks like only transdev will be occupying stands and it makes a mockery of having a bus station.
Surely all this should have been hammered out with the companies before the project went ahead.

Dont talk daft, that would mean doing things right.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Yes, it would....But it would also mean that the bus station was fit for purpose...and that purpose is to have centralised bus services(even though the new bus station could not be considered to be central to the town centre).
It looks like it might be a bit of a white elephant if a number of companies decline to use it.
If the bus routes were taken away from Rosso, M&M and Pilkingtons, then it would be the passengers who were inconvenienced.....not LCC.

[cashman]

aye but to them thats better than saying were stupid.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I think it will be them that look foolish when half the buses in town refuse to use the bus station...and where are these buses going to have their stops if they do not use the bus station?
It will result in a fragmented service....no better than the current situation.
At least Peel St and Infant St are in close proximity.

[Michael1954]

I didn't know that bus companies had to pay a fee. Have they always, or is this something new? The daily charge does seem excessive.

[accyman]

i hope people stay away from this new bus station and support local companies who are been forced out by ridiculous charges

mind you after seeing how HBC treated a popular local taxi driver for having LPG as a fuel source it wouldnt surprise me if these smaller companies get strong armed into compliance

[Neil]

Originally Posted by accyman

...mind you after seeing how HBC treated a popular local taxi driver for having LPG as a fuel source it wouldn't surprise me if these smaller companies get strong armed into compliance

What was the problem with LPG?

[maxthecollie]

LPG is supposed to be a clean fuel. I once had an astra duel fuel. It failed it's MOT on gas but passed on petrol.

[Gremlin]

Looking at the plan of the new bus station it appears to me as though the buses will have to reverse off the stand.
I wonder if they will provide a full time marshalling officer or take pot luck nobody gets squashed.