THOSE COLOURFUL BUSES AROUND TOWN

Blackpool Transport’s smart yellow and black with its silver ‘swhirl’ certainly marks the town’s bus system as independent from ‘corporate’ brands dominating most of the UK’s urban networks. One might yearn for the ever more distinctive green and pale cream Corporation and BTS colours of previous decades - at some future date.

However BTS doesn’t have town services all to itself.

A quite remarkable melange of vehicles in diverse colours can be seen on the 6 and 22 Services operated by Catch22 Bus Ltd. One never knows what type of bus will show up next; from former London types in all over red, to dinky single-deckers from the Welsh Capital, still with bi-lingual notices and a dragon on the side.

Brand new buses have also arrived in Blackpool courtesy of Coastal Coaches of Warton - in the smart dark blue and white colours of that independent operator. We are being warned by BTS of even more distinctive brand new vehicles arriving soon for one of their designated services - with all manner of bells and whistles (for passengers). In former times Lytham St Annes Corporation latterly Fylde Borough - helped to add their own traditional blue and white colour scheme on the 11 Services, so we can be grateful to Coastal Coaches for continuing this south Fylde tradition. Archway Travel together with PrestonBus bring their own branded buses on local School runs and special workings - making Blackpool a colourful town. The summer gets even more interesting.

BACK TO THE FUTURE ...

Travellers to Grange Park on Service 6 last month could be forgiven for thinking the Council had finally got around to redevelopment of the former Central Station site - by bringing back the trains! No such luck. This was a Cardiff destination not yet de-programmed before entering service here. Ironically the FHLT’s tram 290 is also displaying ‘Central Station’ currently.