With Christmas less than a month away, people in Liverpool embracing the party spirit can now ride home on additional bus services.
Merseytravel has started running late night public transport for over the festive period. The first late buses started running at the weekend and will continue on December 5th, 12th and 19th . The buses will run between midnight and 4:30am from the city centre to Allerton, Chester, Croxteth, Garston, Page Moss and Waterloo.
Steve Lambert from Merseytravel told JMU journalism: “Last year was the first time we did it, so it’s quite a new thing. The reason we started doing it was mainly down to complaints, with lots of people wanting to get home after a night out.
“The routes are very basic, and will be a flat rate of £2 and £3 if you’re going to Chester.”
But a lot of students find themselves stranded in town after a night out year-round, so JMU Journalism asked some whether they think late night buses should run throughout the year.
Daniela Colleeta, 20, from John Moores University, told JMU Journalism: “I think it’s easier if they had them running all year. There are students who work late, and it’s dangerous if they walk home, so late night buses are a good idea.”
Rosie Curry, 21, from Liverpool, said: “I think it should be all year – it’s a safety issue when people can’t get home. It stops fights and stuff, when people are hanging around and if people are getting home, away from it all, it’s better for everyone and it’s better for society.”
On Christmas Day Merseytravel will also be running free bus routes serving hospitals across Merseyside from around 12 noon until 6pm.