Blackpool Transport

See also: Blackpool tramway

Blackpool Transport

Double-deck Balloon tram at Bispham
Founded	1885
Headquarters	Blackpool
Locale	Lancashire
Service area	United Kingdom
Service type	Tramway, urban and interurban bus services, school bus
Destinations	Fleetwood, Lytham St Annes, Kirkham, Knott End, Poulton le Fylde
Fleet	170 buses, 75 trams
Operator	Blackpool Transport Services Ltd
Managing director	Trevor Roberts
Web site	Official Website

Blackpool Transport Services (BTS) is a bus and tram operator running within the boroughs of Blackpool and Fylde and into the surrounding area, including Fleetwood, Lytham St Annes, Poulton le Fylde and Kirkham, Preston. BTS is a limited company wholly owned by Blackpool Borough Council, which makes it one of the few remaining municipal bus companies in the UK today.

The company's network was relaunched in April 2001 under the name Metro Coastlines. Along with the new name came a new colour-coded service: each core bus route was operated by vehicles painted in a livery heavily featuring that route's colour. There were twelve such core bus routes, and the historic tramway along the promenade also had its own variation of the livery.

On Monday 26th July 2010, Metro Coastlines branding was discontinued and the company went back to their Blackpool Transport days. Buses have had their Metro Coastlines logos removed and replaced with a new Tower and waves logo.

History

Blackpool Transport was founded in 1885 by the town council. It became an arm's length company in 1986. Neighbouring operator Fylde Borough Transport, which at the time traded as Blue Buses, was taken over in 1994; it had previously been a coucil-owned operation itself, but spent five months in private ownership before Blackpool Transport's takeover.^[1]

Bus types

The company operates many bus types, including:

• Optare Excel
• Optare Solo (M850/M920)
• Leyland Olympian/ECW
• Leyland Olympian/East Lancs
• Volvo Olympian/NC Palatine II
• Dennis Trident 2/East Lancs Myllennium Lolyne
• Volvo B7RLE/Plaxton Centro
• Volvo B7RLE/Wright Eclipse

Fares

Fares on Blackpool Transport depend on the distance travelled, although on buses there is a cap per journey. Most tickets can be purchased from the driver of the first bus boarded. On trams, most tickets can be purchased from the conductor or driver. Pensioners who hold a valid nowcard (concessionary travel card scheme in Lancashire) can travel free on buses and trams, passes from other parts of England are accepted for travel on the buses only. Children under five also travel free. Drivers and conductors may also be able to give change in small denominations.

One day TravelCards can be purchased on any bus or tram, and longer term TravelCards can be purchased at offices and agents.

Bus routes and branding

Number 11 bus

Between 2001 and 2010 each line (service) had its own individual route colour which was painted with a contrasting colour of yellow, and there were also black generic painted buses which were used on any line if a branded vehicle couldn't be used for any reason. Each bus stop also featured the line colour and timetables were also colour coded.

Route branding was discontinued on Monday 26th July 2010 when Blackpool Transport introduced major changes to its bus network, replaced by a new livery of black and yellow.^[2] The Line 6 service was axed on Sunday 25th July 2010 after 84 years in service; Optare Deltas 106, 107 and 112 performed the last duties.^[3]

Since 2002 local bus services have not used the 1960s bus station located on Talbot Road. The town centre Blackpool Transport offices were relocated to Market Street. With the new service changes, many services now serve different town centre stops. Service Promenade 1 stops at North Pier and Blackpool Tower in both directions. Services 2 and 2C terminate at Corporation Street Stop C1, with services 11 and 15 also serving this stop. Services 5, 7, 9 and 14 call at both Market Street and Corporation Street. Service 10 still terminates at Market Street. Services 3, 4 now operate via Topping Street (northbound) and Clifton Street (southbound), Service 16 also operates via Topping Street and now terminates at Blackpool North Station, Service 17 terminates at Market Street and Service 20 terminates at Corporation Street.

Route Number	North Terminus	Major Stops	South Terminus	Frequency Mon - Sat	Frequency Sun	Vehicle
Service 1	Fleetwood Freeport	Fleetwood Ferry, Thornton Gate, Cleveleys, Queens Promenade, Town Centre, South Promenade, Pleasure Beach	Starr Gate	Daytime - 20 minutes Evenings - 30 minutes	Daytime - 20 minutes Evening - 30 minutes	Plaxton Centro, Wright Eclipse, Optare Excel, Dennis Trident 2
Service 2	Poulton	Poulton, Victoria Hospital, Devonshire Square, Blackpool Town Centre	Blackpool Town Centre	Daytime - 30 minutes Evenings - hourly	Daytime and evening - hourly	Optare Solo
Service 2C	Knott End Ferry	Knott End, Stalmine, Hambleton, Poulton, Highfurlong, Victoria Hospital, Devonshire Square, Blackpool Town Centre	Blackpool Town Centre	Daytime - 30 minutes Evenings - hourly	Daytime and evening - hourly	Optare Solo
Service 3	Cleveleys	Cleveleys, Bispham College, Gynn Square, Claremont, Blackpool Town Centre, Park Road, Oxford Square, Penrose Avenue, Mereside	Mereside Tesco	Daytime - 20 minutes Evenings - hourly	Daytime and evening - hourly	Optare Solo
Service 4	Cleveleys Park	Cleveleys, Norbreck, Little Bispham, Gynn Square, Claremont, Blackpool Town Centre, Devonshire Square, Whitegate Drive, Oxford Square, Kipling Drive, Mereside	Mereside Tesco	Daytime - 20 minutes Evenings - hourly	Daytime and evening - hourly	Optare Solo
Service 5	Victoria Hospital	Layton Square, Blackpool Town Centre, South Shore, Farmers Arms Pub, Lindale Gardens	Halfway House	Daytime - 10 minutes Evenings - 30 minutes	Daytime and evening - 30 minutes	Optare Solo, Optare Excel
Service 7	Cleveleys	Bispham Library, Devonshire Road, Blackpool Town Centre, Halfway House, Blackpool Airport, St. Annes Square, Lytham, Saltcotes Road	Saltcotes Road	Daytime - 15 minutes Evenings - 30 minutes	Daytime and evening - 30 minutes	Optare Excel, Plaxton Centro, Wright Eclipse
Service 9	Cleveleys	Bispham College, Bispham village, Layton Square, Blackpool Town Centre	Blackpool Town Centre	Daytime - 10 minutes Evenings - 30 minutes/hourly	Daytime - 20 minutes Evening - 30 minutes/hourly	Dennis Trident 2, Volvo Olympian
Service 10	Blackpool Town Centre	Blackpool Town Centre (Market Street), Royal Oak, Waterloo Hotel, Watson Road Bridge, Highfield Road, Booths, School Road	Midgeland Road	Daytime - hourly Evenings - no service	No Service	Optare Solo
Service 11	Grange Park Estate	Grange Park Estate, Layton Square, Blackpool Town Centre, Lytham Road, Blackpool Airport, St. Annes Square, Ansdell, Lytham Square	St. Annes Square, Lytham Square	Daytime - 15 minutes Evenings - 30 minutes	Daytime and evening - 30 minutes	Plaxton Centro, Wright Eclipse, Dennis Trident 2, Volvo Olympian
Service 14	Fleetwood Ferry	Fleetwood Ferry Terminal, Four Lane Ends, Sixth Form College, Corporation Street/Market Street, Spen Corner, Cherry Tree Road/Asda, Mereside Estate	Mereside Tesco	Daytime - 10 minutes Evenings - 30 minutes	Daytime - 20 minutes Evening - 30 minutes	Dennis Trident 2, Volvo Olympian
Service 15	Poulton	Castle Gardens, Bispham College, Blackpool Technology Park, Gynn Square, Dickson Road, Town Centre, Devonshire Road, Victoria Hospital, Staining	Staining Bibby Drive	Daytime - 30 minutes Evenings - no service	Daytime - hourly Evening - no service	Optare Solo
Service 16	Cleveleys	Cleveleys, Norcross, Bispham, Grange Park, Victoria Hospital, Stanley Park, Mereside Tesco, Highfield Road, Harrowside, South Shore, Whitegate Drive,Devonshire Square, Blackpool North Train Station	Blackpool North Train Station	Daytime Mon-Fri - 30 minutes Daytime Sat - hourly Evenings - no service	Daytime - hourly Evening - no service	Optare Solo
Service 17	Blackpool Town Centre	Blackpool Town Centre (Market Street), Spen Corner, Common Edge Road, Spring Gardens, St Annes Square	St Annes Square	Daytime - 30 minutes Evenings - no service	Daytime - 30 minutes Evening - no service	Optare Solo
Service 20*	Marton Mere Holiday Camp	Blackpool Zoo, Model Village, Stanley Park, Blackpool Town Centre (Corporation Street)	Blackpool Town Centre	Daytime - 45 minutes Evenings - no service	Daytime - 45 minutes Evening - no service	Dennis Trident 2, Leyland Olympian, Volvo Olympian

* Operates during the summer season only

Blackpool Transport also operate the franchise for City Sightseeing tours with buses operating between the Town Centre and St Annes. The service normally operates during the six week summer school holidays and also the October half term.

All routes terminate or pass through Blackpool town centre, stopping at either Market Street, Corporation Street or Abingdon Street bus stops.

See also

• List of bus operators of the United Kingdom

References

1. ^ Brown, Stewart J (November 1995). Buses in Britain 2: The Mid Nineties. Capital Transport. pp. 54–55. ISBN 1854141813. 
2. ^ Blackpool Transport woes Blackpool Aloud, 27 May 2010
3. ^ The end of the line for number six Blackpool Aloud, 27 July 2010

External links

• Official website
• Extensive photo collection (1)
• Extensive photo collection (2)