Blackpool Transport cuts bus services across Fylde coast due to shortage of drivers

A number of Blackpool's bus services are set to become less frequent after the weekend after resort transport bosses announced timetable cuts due to a shortage of drivers.
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Blackpool Transport said it is currently facing challenges that means it has to alter its bus services across the resort.

A spokesman for the company said: "At the moment we have a shortage of bus drivers, which means we are unable to provide the frequency of services we would like to.

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"This is because the logistics and transport industry across the UK is experiencing a shortage of drivers and has driver vacancy rates of up to 20 per cent."

Blackpool Transport is cutting services due to a driver shortageBlackpool Transport is cutting services due to a driver shortage
Blackpool Transport is cutting services due to a driver shortage

"From Sunday, September 19, there will be some changes to our bus timetables. Many of our services will not change but we need to make some adjustments due to the challenges we are facing.

"These changes mean that we should be able to run a reliable transport network for you, which is a better alternative than the current situation that is resulting in a number of cancelled journeys."

The routes affected by the timetable changes are services 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 14. Other services will not change and trams will continue to run to their current timetable.

Service 1 - Fleetwood to Starr Gate via Promenade

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Service 1 will see a slight tweak to its timetable but will run to the same frequency as now.

Service 5 - Blackpool Victoria Hospital to Halfway House via Town Centre

Service 5 will see a change in frequency and run up to every 20 minutes Monday to Friday (previously every 15 minutes) and every 30 minutes on Saturday and Sunday (previously every 20 minutes).

Service 6 - Mereside to Grange Park via Blackpool Town Centre & Layton

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Service 6 will continue to run up to every 20 minutes Monday to Friday and from 19 September, up to 30 minutes on Saturday and Sunday (previously every 20 minutes).

Service 7 - Cleveleys to St Annes via Blackpool

Service 7 will see a timetable change meaning it will run up to every 30 minutes Monday to Sunday (previously every 15 minutes).

Service 9 - Cleveleys to Blackpool via Bispham

Service 9 will change, running up to every 20 minutes Monday to Friday and every 30 minutes on Saturday and Sunday (previously every 20 minutes).

Service 11 - Lytham to Blackpool Town Centre via St Annes

Service 11 will continue to run up to every 20 minutes Monday to Friday and will begin running every 30 minutes on Saturday and Sunday.

Service 14 - Fleetwood to Blackpool via Layton

Service 14 will begin to run every 15 minutes Monday to Friday and has a slight change to its Saturday timetable. Service 14 will run every 20 minutes on Sundays.