Liverpool Night Buses Christmas 2015

[mr t]

RE: Liverpool Night Buses Christmas 2015
So, last nights observations - not very good at all for the Liverpool routes, even the 86 was leaving empty and this was despite town being absolutely choccka, almost like Halloween again for some reason, queues for taxis down the streets as per usual.
Arriva had 15 plate deckers on the 10, 14 and 53 too this week, I was around Elliot St 2-330am.

[YN05 WKE]

RE: Liverpool Night Buses Christmas 2015

(06/12/2015 12:51)mr t Wrote:  So, last nights observations - not very good at all for the Liverpool routes, even the 86 was leaving empty and this was despite town being absolutely choccka, almost like Halloween again for some reason, queues for taxis down the streets as per usual.
Arriva had 15 plate deckers on the 10, 14 and 53 too this week, I was around Elliot St 2-330am.

I believe the N1 was quieter as well with a some saying they was getting the Night train as be quicker

[Barney]

RE: Liverpool Night Buses Christmas 2015

(06/12/2015 12:51)mr t Wrote:  So, last nights observations - not very good at all for the Liverpool routes, even the 86 was leaving empty and this was despite town being absolutely choccka, almost like Halloween again for some reason, queues for taxis down the streets as per usual.
Arriva had 15 plate deckers on the 10, 14 and 53 too this week, I was around Elliot St 2-330am.

The lack of patronage does not really surprise me as, quite simply, there are too few routes serving too few places. If a group of friends go out together, it is highly unlikely that two would opt to get a bus home and seven queue for taxis. When there was a full night bus network, deckers were leaving with full loads from Queen Square at this time of year.

[moreton407]

RE: Liverpool Night Buses Christmas 2015
I think the night buses could be finishing too early.

I've been in the City Centre around 6am on a Sunday morning, the amount of people hanging around waiting for taxis is a lot more than there is at 2am. I have noticed that the first route 55 (Liverpool-Old Roan) leaving the city centre at 6.10am is quite full.

[Barney]

RE: Liverpool Night Buses Christmas 2015

(09/12/2015 18:03)moreton407 Wrote:  I think the night buses could be finishing too early.

I've been in the City Centre around 6am on a Sunday morning, the amount of people hanging around waiting for taxis is a lot more than there is at 2am. I have noticed that the first route 55 (Liverpool-Old Roan) leaving the city centre at 6.10am is quite full.

The law of unintended consequences needs to be applied here. When the Liverpool night bus network was established in 1997, the licensing laws dictated that all licensed premises should close at 2am. Consequently, there was a mass exodus from the city centre between 2 and 3.30 am and the night buses were packed. However, when the licensing laws were relaxed clubbers were able to stay out much later and the demand for transport home was reduced. On the one occasion I was in Liverpool city centre at 5am on a Saturday morning a few years ago , it was still quite busy. Also, I have heard that the first trains from Liverpool Central are a lot busier than they used to be.

[E400]

RE: Liverpool Night Buses Christmas 2015
I finish work generally around 0430-0530 at weekends and when driving back to Birkenhead via the city centre the crowds are sometimes indistinguishable from the daytime crowds. Last weekend was particularly busy.

I don't think the licensing laws are as much to blame as people make out; people will still be arriving in Liverpool until 1am/2am and then the first lot start leaving at 3am. Nightbuses throughout from midnight to first day service should operate regularly and should be properly promoted. They should also run from their usual stops rather than being hidden round the back of St John's.

[wirralbus]

RE: Liverpool Night Buses Christmas 2015
He does have a point about night buses , there should be some joined up thinking so the routes just merge from the daytime to the night time routes and back again , didnt they try that with the 86N and it belly flopped and was withdrawn though.

[H101GEV (Administrator)]

RE: Liverpool Night Buses Christmas 2015

(06/12/2015 12:58)E208 WBG Wrote:  I believe the N1 was quieter as well with a some saying they was getting the Night train as be quicker

Doubtful as the night trains don't start operating until tonight (11th December)!

[mr t]

RE: Liverpool Night Buses Christmas 2015
Same as last week for the buses last night im afraid - Arriva were back to using Pulsars again, but all the ones leaving Elliot Street from 2-330 were just about empty.

[PO59 MXJ]

RE: Liverpool Night Buses Christmas 2015
82/86 are doing pretty well. Majority getting on at Berry Street/Leece Street