Blackburn’s Outer Circle bus could become the Outer Centre Circle. This follows a suggestion to take it into the town centre.
As regular users know, this bus was set up to link the suburbs of Blackburn, without going into our town centre bus station. But some passengers have found getting off at Daisyfield Toll Bar, where the two Whalley roads start, is only a five minute walk to the bus station. This would be a lot quicker if the bus diverted its route there and would be worth considering as an additional service for Blackburn’s bus users.
It is an opportune time to consider extra uses for the Outer Circle, especially with it being under review by transport authorities. Bus services have been gradually cut across town. Where I live up Revidge, the No.9 route only starts at 9.25am and ends at 1.25pm. Darwen Coach Services runs a limited service later, covering some of this area at 6.15pm and one more two hours later. But for workers, shoppers and schoolchildren there is nothing in between. It is a similar story of service cuts and reductions all over Blackburn. Even the Outer Circle itself only runs at peak times, with a four hour gap from mid-morning to when it resumes in the afternoon..
If the Outer Circle ran the short distance from its nearest point to the town centre and the bus station, it would provide extra services to all parts of the town’s suburbs where none exist or are very limited. It would also generate extra passengers, in both directions. This could help make the bus run all day, rather than having a four hour gap between morning and afternoon services. In Preston their local bus company copied our Outer Circle with their own version, called Orbit. But they take their Orbit into the town centre to their bus station. This has proved a popular service.
I was able to put this suggestion to our local bus provider and a council transport representative when they recently had a drop-in session in Blackburn Mall. I spoke with a driver, an inspector and a chap from Blackburn with Darwen Council. All of them agreed it was a good idea and certainly feasible. Their only concern was adding an extra ten minutes to the existing Outer Circle journey. But this extended route was certainly worth considering.
Hopefully my suggestion will be taken up and given a try. We have a new bus station nearing completion. At first I thought it was going to be too small. With the subsequent cutbacks in bus serves, it might end being too big. Why not make use of it then with the one service which brings the town’s suburbs together – our good old Outer Circle.