Arriva and Stagecoach have confirmed a series of changes to bus services in the Liverpool City Region

THE private operators have finalised number of changes to routes across:- Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and the Wirral that will begin on Sunday, 4 September 2022.

Several services considered to be:- 'vital routes' have been protected from the proposals after Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority stepped in to provide funding support to save them.

These include the 492 and 495 to Birkenhead, 37 from St Helens to Eccleston, and the 76 and 78, from Halewood to Liverpool City Centre.

Currently, the majority of bus services in the Liverpool City Region are operated on a commercial basis by private operators; predominantly Arriva and Stagecoach. Under this deregulated bus system, these private companies have control over aspects such as routes, timetables and fares.

Earlier this year Liverpool City Region leaders took an important step towards reversing this power imbalance after local leaders voted to confirm franchising as their preferred model for the future running the network, a landmark move that would reverse the industry's deregulation in the mid-1980's. This would give the Combined Authority the ability to set routes, timetables and fares.

The bus operators initially proposed changes to their commercial services as Government funding to help keep routes in operation throughout the Pandemic is set to end this autumn.

Proposals for the changes were published in late June, followed by a public consultation to give people the chance to provide their feedback.

A full list of the final changes and more information on why the review has taken place can be found on our Commonplace website. If a service is not listed on this site, then no changes have been made.

A summary of some of the key changes to the original plans made as a result of the public consultation are below:-

Arriva...

►  492/495 Birkenhead - Noctorum Circulars to remain at every 30 minutes due to Combined Authority funding

►  37 St Helens - Eccleston will not be withdrawn; will serve Eccleston every 60 minutes and then extend up to Rainford. Service 38 will operate every 60 minutes, meaning 2 buses per hour from Rainford into St Helens and a 30 minute service along Kiln Lane. Rainford Junction will have a 60 minute service. This is possible due to Combined Authority funding

►  44 and 49 Crossens - Formby/Woodvale will remain unchanged.

►  76 and 78 Halewood - Liverpool will remain at 30 minutes, Monday to Friday, daytime due to Combined Authority funding.

►  310 Liverpool - Skelmersdale will be unchanged (Proposed to reduce to every 60 minutes beyond Maghull)

►  300 Liverpool - Southport will be unchanged (Saturday frequency reduction was originally proposed)

►  352 St Helens - Orrell/Wigan will remain at every 15 minutes, Monday to Friday, and just reduce to every 30 minutes on a Saturday (weekday frequency reduction was originally proposed)

►  79 - Short journeys will terminate at Wood Lane rather than at Belle Vale meaning an 8 minute service between Liverpool and Wood Lane, Monday to Friday daytime, with a 16 minute service extending through to Halewood.

Stagecoach...

►  17 Liverpool - Kirkby Industrial Park will have revisions to the proposed timetable to better accommodate shift times

In addition to these changes, the Combined Authority has proposed funding to retain the frequencies of the 204 and 61. Discussions are on going with the operators to achieve this, but it will not be possible before the September change date.

In Sefton, the confirmed changes to buses in Sefton will take place, from 4 September 2022, including any changes to bus operators or timetables. Please tell Sefton Council about how you feel about these changes by visiting:- LCRBusReview.Commonplace.IS.

In Sefton, the key revisions that have been made to the proposals previously shared:-

►  300 Liverpool - Southport: will be unchanged (Saturday frequency reduction was proposed)

►  310 Liverpool - Skelmersdale: will be unchanged (Proposed to reduce to every 60 minutes beyond Maghull)

►  Routes 44 and 49 will remain unchanged.

Other routes within Sefton...
 

Service / Operator	To / From	Overview of Change
44 Arriva	Formby - Crossens	Following feedback this service will remain unchanged.
49 Arriva	Crossens - Woodvale	Following feedback this route will remain unchanged.
47 Arriva	Crossens - Queen Square	Minor Timetable Change.
Formby Circulars F1 - F6 Operated on behalf of Merseytravel by Arriva	Formby Circulars	Operator will change from CumfyBus to Arriva.
52/52A Arriva	Liverpool - Netherton	Daytime frequency returned to Pre- Summer timetable. Saturday frequency reduction to every 20 minutes from 17:00
54 Arriva	Liverpool - Thornton Circular	Sunday Frequency reduction to every 60 minutes.
55 Arriva	Liverpool - Old Roan	Sunday Frequency reduction to every 60 minutes. Minor Timetable Change
58 Arriva	Sir Thomas Street - Netherton	Minor Timetable Change.
58 Morning trip from Netherton operated on behalf of Merseytravel by PeoplesBus	Netherton - Queen Square Bus Station	Operator will change from Arriva to Peoples Bus.
60 Arriva	Bootle - Aigburth Vale	Minor Daytime Timetable Changes Minor Frequency Reductions in the evenings Monday to Friday; reduced to every 60 minutes from 22:00 Saturday; reduced to every 60 minutes from 22:00 Sunday; reduced to every 60 minutes from 21:00.
61 Arriva	Bootle - Aigburth Vale	Minor Daytime Timetable Changes.
62 Arriva	Bootle - Penny Lane	Daytime frequency returned to Pre- Summer timetable. Timetable amendment Hourly phasing in of the timetable until 06:30 Monday - Saturday Frequency drop to 60 mins from 19:00 daily.
63 Arriva	Bootle - Aigburth Vale	Minor Frequency Reductions in the evenings Monday to Friday; reduced to every 60 minutes from 22:00 Saturday; reduced to every 60 minutes from 22:00 Sunday; reduced to every 60 minutes from 21:00.
68 Arriva	Aigburth Vale - Bootle	Returning to Pre Summer Timetable.
81 Arriva	Bootle Bus Station to Liverpool John Lennon Airport / Speke	Monday to Friday; reduced to every 30 minutes. Between Hunts Cross and Bootle Bus Station, the 81 and 81A operate with a combined daytime frequency of every 15 minutes.
81A Arriva	Bootle Bus Station to Liverpool John Lennon Airport / Speke	Monday - Friday; reduced to every 30 minutes Between Hunts Cross and Bootle Bus Station, the 81 and 81A operate with a combined daytime frequency of every 15 minutes.
121 Operated on behalf of Merseytravel by CumfyBus	Aintree Station - Broadway	Monday - Saturday evenings every 60 minutes and all day Sunday.
133 Operated on behalf of Merseytravel by Hattons	Kirkby Admin - Waterloo	Operator will change from Huyton Travel to Hattons.
135 Merseytravel	Aintree Station - Bootle	Frequency reintroduced at 60 minutes. Millers Bridge no longer served. Route is now standardised. Monday to Saturday Service 136 covers Millers Bridge in the Weekday Peaks. Millers Bridge covered by the 144 evenings and Sundays.
136 Operated on behalf of Merseytravel by PeoplesBus	Liverpool One - Bootle Bus Station Circular	Operator will change from Huyton Travel to Peoples Bus.
144 Operated on behalf of Merseytravel by Arriva	Bootle - Netherton Circular	Service to be to be revised to operate via Strand Road in both directions in the daytime. Evenings and Sundays operate via Millers Bridge. Frequency Hourly all day. Operator will change from HTL and Hattons Travel to Arriva.
159 Operated on behalf of Merseytravel by HTL	Walton Park - Aintree Hospital	Evenings and Sundays route extended to Walton Park Service now operates Walton Park - Aintree Hospital all day, every day.
235 Operated on behalf of Merseytravel by PeoplesBus	Bootle - Orrell Park Circular	Operator will change from Huyton Travel to Peoples Bus.
345 Arriva	Waddicar - Queen Square	Minor Timetable Change.
835 Operated on behalf of Merseytravel by PeoplesBus	Northwood - Liverpool Freeport, Seaforth	Operator will change from Stagecoach to Peoplesbus.

We are also told that if a bus service does not appear in this list there may be some revisions to timetables or operator. These will be confirmed soon. Any changes to services to Schools will be publicised via any affected Schools.

Also adding to the debate Damien Moore MP has publicly commented on Arriva Bus Service Changes, saying:- "Like many residents in our Town, I was deeply concerned about the Liverpool City Region's proposals to change the 44 and 49 bus routes in Southport. Whether for Hospital appointments, getting to work, or essential food shopping, these routes are vital for ensuring that Southport remains accessible to all. I was contacted by dozens of concerned constituents, from Ainsdale to Crossens, and earlier this week my office attended a meeting with residents to call for these proposed changes to be scrapped. I am very pleased that our concerns have been listened to, and that the Liverpool City Region have now confirmed that their plans to alter the 44 and 49 services have been dropped. I will always stand up for Southport's transport connectivity, from local bus routes to Regional train lines, to ensure that my constituents have the travel options they need and deserve. I would also encourage Arriva and the Unions to renew their efforts to bring the current damaging strike action to an end. If any Southport constituents have further questions about the bus services, please do send me an email at:- Damien.Moore.mp@Parliament.UK, or come along to my weekly surgery in The Atkinson library, every Friday, 11am to 2pm."
 

30,000 British Muslims Come Together for 1st Time since Covid19 at UK's largest Islamic Convention

TENS of thousands of British Muslims will meet for the 1st time since the start of the Covid19 Pandemic at the UK's longest running Islamic convention.

Ahmadi Muslims from across the UK will descend on the 200 acre Oakland Farm in Hampshire between:- 5 August and 7 August 2022, for 3 days of prayer, discussion and spiritual rejuvenation at the event known as Jalsa Salana.

The event, which is organised by 7,000 volunteers, is put on in less than 2 weeks and will see solutions offered to some of the biggest global challenges facing the world today.

The aim of the convention is to highlight the true, peaceful teachings of Islam and help attendees better understand the faith.

The highlight of the event will be the attendance of the Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, leader to millions of Ahmadi Muslims across the world.

His Holiness will deliver an address to attendees on each of the 3 days of the Jalsa, providing insight on key social issues at a time of immense global uncertainty.

His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:- "A golden principle given by the Founder of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him) is that a true Muslim should like for others, what he likes for himself. I believe that this simple and profound point, if acted upon, not just by Muslims, but by all people, is the means for everlasting peace in society. No doubt, everyone desires peace for themselves and their loved ones, but most people will be lying if they claim that they want their opponents and competitors to have peace and to live with contentment. Yet this is the standard of nobility and generosity of spirit that Islam requires. It is a religion and teaching that promotes selflessness and urges humans to discard all traces of selfishness."

Abid Khan, Press Secretary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said:- "The past 2 years have been a challenging time for communities across the globe due to the Pandemic. Now however, the world faces further challenges in the form of economic difficulties, political unrest and the very real prospect of a Third World War. We are extremely fortunate to have His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, address this year's Jalsa and provide real solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the world today."

Did you know? The Jalsa Salana is the longest running Islamic convention in Britain. Due to the Pandemic, it did not take place in 2020 and in 2021 was held on a much smaller scale. This year however, it is back to full capacity, with tens of thousands of visitors in attendance.