Lancashire residents to benefit from lower fares on most bus services

From January 30, value bus fares will be available on most Lancashire bus services for evenings out and weekend travel.

For evening travel, it will cost just £1 for a single trip after 7pm, seven days a week whilst all Lancashire residents can get a new Weekender ticket, buy any ticket on a Saturday, and get the equivalent for free travel on Sundays.

Funded by the Government in support of Lancashire County Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan, these discounted tickets will be available until at least March 2025.

This is in addition to the Department for Transport’s fares initiative of three months of single bus fares for no more than £2 for a single journey until March 31.

It forms part of Lancashire County Council's Bus Services Improvement Plan, which has received DfT funding of £34.1 million for a range of measures to make buses better.

County Councillor Rupert Swarbrick, cabinet member for highways and transport for Lancashire County Council said: "As well as providing some great cost savings for our residents at a time they need it most, we hope these new discounted tickets will encourage leisure travel at evenings and weekends, giving local businesses a welcome boost.  

"We want to make Lancashire services more frequent, reliable and affordable, with better information for passengers and a simpler system of fares which is easier to understand.

"We are working with local bus operators and Blackburn with Darwen Council, to create a network of buses which more people use for regular journeys.

"This new offer will run alongside the DfT's £2 flat fares initiative, so that passengers can benefit from discounted tickets in the daytime and even further discounts for off peak travel at evenings and weekends."

Cllr Quesir Mahmood, executive member for growth for Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said: "We are incredibly pleased our residents have access to a high-quality public transport service at a discounted price.

Residents to benefit from lower bus fares (Image: Newsquest)

“Given the current economic challenges, it’s more important than ever we can ensure our residents are able to navigate throughout our borough, and wider Lancashire, in a way that is safe, affordable and accessible.

"The reduced ticket prices are also a fantastic incentive for residents to reduce the number of car journeys they are making, working towards a greener, healthier borough for us all and fitting with the council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan."

Other measures in the council's Bus Services Improvement Plan to be delivered from 2022 to 2025 include bus priority routes to make journeys quicker and more reliable and several bus service enhancements.