BUS passengers face more heartache with the news that Stagecoach is slashing the number of journeys between Morecambe and Lancaster.
From December 14, Stagecoach is cutting journeys on services 3 and 4 from every 10 minutes to every 15 minutes between Heysham and Lancaster city centre - a reduction of two an hour.
"We try very hard not to cut the number of buses and journeys o
n our routes," said managing director of Stagecoach North West, Chris Bowles.
"Unfortunately there has been a huge reduction in the amount of money local councils, including Lancaster City Council, pay us for the concessionary NoWCard bus pass scheme."
Stagecoach said in Lancaster's case this is a reduction of more than £1million this year alone in what the council pays the company for the NoWCard bus pass scheme.
The company maintains that even though there are many busy journeys, it has been losing money on some of them.
From the middle of next month service 3 will depart every 30 minutes between the Battery and Lancaster University and service 4 will also run every 30 minutes from Heysham.
But during university term-times Stagecoach will provide extra buses on service 3 between Lancaster University and the city centre.
"Stagecoach in Lancaster understands there is a problem for some authorities in funding what is an immensely popular scheme," said Mr Bowles.
"But the answer is not to pay bus operators less money or, as has happened in some areas of Lancashire, spend it somewhere else."
Mr Bowles added there would be more cuts in the New Year, to services 6, 7 and 10 in Lancaster, service 42 to Blackpool and the school bus in the Heysham area.
New timetables for services 3 and 4 will be available as a booklet and online at
stagecoachbus.com/northwest from Tuesday, December 1.
