At a post-pandemic recovery focused consultation, it was identified that the lack of post-midnight public transport (discontinued during the lockdowns) was hindering efforts to revitalise the city region’s night time economy. Venues indicated that restricted after-hours public transportation significantly impacted both their customer attendance and revenue generation, along with challenges in hiring and retaining staff who work late.
Following these findings the IPM and LCRMB partnered with Liverpool Nightlife CIC and other LCR venues to initiate a campaign to bring back Late-Night Bus routes. A survey of local residents and students facilitated by the IPM, Civic Data Cooperative and University of Liverpool Psychology Department demonstrated the demand for the service. After working tirelessly for 20 months, bus operator Stagecoach, launched a new N1 Night Bus service in December 2023 covering South Liverpool, Liverpool City Centre, and a cross-river service to Birkenhead connecting Liverpool and the Wirral.
Dr Flynn secured UKRI Impact Accelerator Account funding to evaluate the impact of the night bus during the 2024 pilot phase.
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