North Lincolnshire Concessionary Fare Budget Cut

North Lincolnshire Council are reducing their budget for concessionary fares for the 2016/17 financial year, and a report to the cabinet member responsible gives options as to how to do this. The recommendation is to change the methodology for calculating concessionary fare payments to operators, which would lead to a lower reimbursement rate than presently provided. Consultation with Hornsby Travel and Stagecoach indicates that if this happens tendered services could be surrendered and commercial services would be under threat. Savings could also be made by removing discretionary elements of the North Lincolnshire concessionary fares scheme.

It is perhaps also worth noting that changes to bus services in North Lincolnshire are due to happen anyway next year as part of the 'Connecting Rural Communities' project that will see the launch of demand responsive services and fewer traditional tendered bus services.

North Lincolnshire has been rather protected from cuts to buses in recent years - the last major cuts were in 2006 - and has instead seen improvements - but 2016 seems set to be a year of major change.

Christmas and New Year Services 2015/16

Below is a summary of Christmas/New Year services in the Humber region provided by Arriva Yorkshire, EYMS, First South Yorkshire (who still serve the Humber region with a morning peak service from Epworth), First York, Hornsby Travel, Stagecoach and Transdev (York and Yorkshire Coastliner). Services provided by these operators outside of the region are not covered. If anyone has information for other operators, please post a comment and I will update this post. Please check exact details before travelling.

Christmas Eve - Normal weekday service with an early evening finish around 7-8pm, except First South Yorkshire, First York and Transdev who shall provide a Saturday service. Transdev service X36 shall operate a normal Thursday service.

Christmas Day - No Services

Saturday 26th - Special daytime services on certain routes only in the Hull Area:

EYMS:
34: Hull-Willerby - Hourly
56: Hull-Longhill-Asda Bilton - Hourly
64: Hull-Cottingham-Castle Hill Hospital - Hourly
66: Hull-Hessle - Hourly
115: Hull-Avenues-Cottingham-Castle Hill Hospital - Hourly (circular with 154)
154: Hull-Willerby-Castle Hill Hospital - Hourly (circular with 115)

Stagecoach:
1: Hull-Boothferry Estate - Hourly
2: Hull-Boothferry Estate - Hourly
3: Orchard Park-Hull-Greatfield- Half Hourly (increased from hourly between Hull and Greatfield in 2014)
4: Orchard Park-Hull-Bilton Grange - Hourly (reduced from half hourly between Orchard Park and Hull in 2014)
5: Hull-Orchard Park-Kingswood - Half Hourly
8: Hull-Sutton Park-North Point - Hourly
10: Hull-North Point-North Bransholme - Hourly
11: Hull-North Point-Kingswood - Hourly (limited additional journeys provided in 2014 not provided in 2015, service 13 partially replaces)
12: Hull-North Point - Hourly
13: Hull-North Point - Hourly (new for 2015)
14: Hull-Greatfield - Hourly
Plus Football Buses to the KC Stadium
There will be no buses in Grimsby and Cleethorpes on the 26th this year.

Sunday 27th - Normal Sunday service.

Bank Holiday Monday 28th - A Sunday service will be operated.

Tuesday 29th - A Saturday service for most operators, except Hornsby Travel who will provide a normal Tuesday service. There are exceptions as follows:

• EYMS Services 134, 195, 196, 198, 199, 360, 361, S1 and S2 will operate a normal Tuesday service
• EYMS Services 106, 107, 143, 160, X36 and the Beverley Town Shopper Shuttle will not operate (these services would not usually operate on a Tuesday). Oddly the Saturday only service 173 is not stated in EYMS publicity as not operating.
• EYMS Friday and Saturday evening only journeys on routes 18, 75, 121 and X47 shall not operate (i.e. a normal Tuesday evening service will operate)
• EYMS service 135 will have normal Tuesday departures from Driffield at 0910 and 1140, however the 0655 and 1710 journeys will not operate
• Stagecoach services 1, 2, 20 and 25 in North East Lincolnshire will operate a normal Tuesday service
• Transdev York services 10 and X36 will operate a normal Tuesday service

Notable are Stagecoach services in North Lincolnshire operating a Saturday service on the normal weekdays between Christmas and New Year, rather than a normal timetable as is usually provided. However while a change from normal, on most routes the Saturday and School/College Holiday timetables are either identical or very similar, so the impact will be very small.

Wednesday 30th - A Saturday service for most operators, except Hornsby Travel who will provide a normal Wednesday service. There are exceptions as follows:

• EYMS Services 195, 241, 360 and 361 will operate a normal Wednesday service
• EYMS Services 106, 107, X36 and the Beverley Town Shopper Shuttle will not operate
• EYMS Friday and Saturday evening only journeys on routes 18, 75, 121 and X47 shall not operate (i.e. a normal Wednesday evening service will operate)
• Stagecoach services 1, 2, 20 and 25 in North East Lincolnshire will operate a normal Wednesday service
• Transdev York services 10 and X36 will operate a normal Wednesday service

New Years Eve - A Saturday service for most operators, with an early evening finish around 7-8pm, except Hornsby Travel who will provide a normal Thursday service with an early evening finish around 7pm. There are exceptions as follows:

• EYMS Services 134, 196, 360 and 361 will operate a normal Thursday service
• EYMS Services 106, 107, X36 and the Beverley Town Shopper Shuttle will not operate. Oddly the Mon/Wed/Sat only service 143, and Wed/Sat only 160 are not stated in EYMS publicity as not operating.
• EYMS service 135 will have normal Thursday departures from Driffield at 0910 and 1140, however the 0655 and 1710 journeys will not operate
• Stagecoach services 1, 2, 20 and 25 in North East Lincolnshire will operate a normal Thursday service
• Stagecoach services 5+ and 11+ in Hull shall provide a limited service until around 11pm
• Stagecoach services 2 (serving Hessle), 3 (to Greatfield and Bilton Grange but not Orchard Park), 5+ and 11+ in Hull shall provide a nightbus service, with last departures from Hull City Centre at 0200 (later than the residual Saturday nightbus service)
• Transdev York service X36 will operate a normal Thursday service

(As a result the usual Thursday variation to Stagecoach service 260 'Barton Villager' will not be provided, however East Halton will be inaccessible without a significant diversion anyway due to a level crossing closure, and residents of the Dam Road area of Barton will still have the Hornsby operated Town Service on Wednesday 30th).

New Years Day - No Services

UPDATE - Please see the comments section for details of coach services.