Queen Square Bus Station

[Raawwwrrr!]

RE: Queen Square Bus Station

(13/02/2015 11:11)Barney Wrote:  They missed a bigger trick when they closed the Pier Head bus station and paved the whole area. If you look at archive photographs of that area, you will see that it was a tram terminus for decades before it became a bus terminus and it served its purpose perfectly.

The fundamental problem is that planners and politicians only ever think in the short term, especially when it comes to matters of public transport. The decision to abandon the tram system in most major cities in the UK would never have happened if the Suez Crisis had occurred two years earlier. Remember a certain Dr Beeching? His plans are now totally discredited and the privatisation of bus services and the railways has hardly been resounding success, has it?

Pier Head or Mann Island is a really bad idea for a bus terminus, getting across 'The Strand' is chaotic due to the signalling of the traffic lights. the other problem is that there is nothing for the "regular passenger" at Pier Head. It isn't close to a Northern Rail/Mainline Station, and is merely an overpriced tourist attraction. In the current climate, if it was to be turned into a bus station, it would be very badly served passenger wise. Most people who alight at Queen Square, will get the return bus at Queen Sq or around Lord St as that is where the shops and amenities are. Likewise with Liverpool One, It tends to be that Hanover St and Lewis's are the main alighting stops with Lime St and Great Charlotte St taking the bulk of returning passengers. That's the current problem with Liverpool one it's at the a**e-end of the Shopping district, the business district, and no-where near an inter-city station.

It might have worked years ago when more roads were open to buses allowing greater traffic flow, but it just wouldn't work today. (Unless you want a ferry, a Liverpool souvenir, or an over-priced latté).