Blackpool’s £2.40 Rideability bus fares face challenges. The council explores ways to sustain the service for vulnerable residents.
The bus service costs the council money, losing about £245,000 each year. They plan to launch a new app to encourage more people to use the service. Right now, about 1,220 people are registered.
Rideability helps vulnerable locals who cannot easily use regular buses. This door-to-door service is essential for getting to the doctor, shopping, and managing daily tasks.
The service runs six days weekly, Monday through Saturday. It helps anyone needing wheelchair access or who cannot use standard buses due to disability, age, or health.
The service is funded by both fares and a travel scheme run by Lancashire County Council, which Blackpool council pays for.
The service currently spends more than it earns, making it harder for the council to support. Fares last went up in April 2023 by just over two percent, rising from £2.30 to £2.40.
The council has run Rideability since 2015 and will keep funding the service to tackle inequality within Blackpool. Rideability offers shopping trips to supermarkets like Morrisons, Booths, Tesco, and Asda, along with weekly pub lunches and even trips further away!