Thursday 31 January 2019

Coastal Changes

Coastal Coaches Solo "Miss Lucy" leaves Lytham Square for St. Annes on service 78 - 2nd January 2019 (Brian Turner)


Coastal Coaches has recently been awarded contracts for services 76 (Lytham to Blackpool), 77 (Preston to Blackpool) and 77A (Preston to Myrescough). These are presently provided by Preston Bus on behalf of Lancashire County Council. Preston bus recently surrendered the contracts and Coastal have won the resulting tender. Four buses are required and the routes transfer on 18th February. On the same date their commercial 78 is reduced from half hourly to hourly.


At the same time Preston Bus will change the 75, again this has been retendered but this time they have retained the contract. Instead of linking to service 29 in Preston, it will now link to a new service 15 from Preston to Longsands. In Fleetwood the 75 will no longer service the Windward Avenue housing estate but will run via Denham Way and Copse Road instead.


Blackpool Transport made two minor service changes on 27th January. The 7 route in St. Annes has changed. Instead of turning via Beach Road, Promenade and St. Annes Road West it now serves the 17 stop on Clifton Drive South then turns via Links Road, South Promenade and St. Annes Road West. The 2C is revised to only serve the Over Wyre Health Centre during open hours, with buses running between 0750 and 1720 still using Pilling Avenue and Grasmere Road. At other times the service reverts to using Lancaster Road.


A significant diversion to the 3 and 9 commenced on 10th December. Neither can serve Bispham Village due to roadworks so run via Ashfield Road and Bristol Avenue (ironically the traditional pre 1992 route of the 9) to Moor Park Pool, with the 9 carrying on as normal and the 3 turning back to Bispham Library via Bispham Road.