Passengers will soon be able to hop on and off at Chester’s new £13m bus interchange.
The interchange, based at Gorse Stacks, will take Park and Ride buses from Tuesday, May 30, followed by all bus operators the following week (June 5) when the old Princess Street bus exchange shuts.
Closing the Princess Street facility will create space for a new market square as part of the proposed £300m Northgate Development retail scheme.
Hoardings will be erected around the upper area of the Princess Street site. The lower part will remain open for taxis and coaches.
A free shopper hopper, running every 15 minutes from 8am to 6pm, will link the old and new sites to ensure access is maintained to that part of the city centre including the existing market.
The new interchange, which features an environmentally-friendly sedum roof, will be open 24 hours a day and will be staffed between 6am until 11.30pm, Monday to Saturday, and 6am until 8.30pm on Sundays.
Originally it was due to open in December 2016 but was delayed partly due to repairs to a concrete slab that protects the archaeology below.
Graham Pink, director of commissioning places and commercial management at Cheshire West and Chester Council , said: “Following the completion of construction work, the site has seen a lot of activity with staff familiarising themselves with the building.
"Bus operators have also had a chance to trial the new facilities and produce new timetables.”
The new interchange has 13 bus stands with an average of 90 buses per hour – there will be limited services operating between 10pm and 6am. Information screens will provide passengers with a live feed regarding arrival times.
CWaC says passenger comfort has been a priority with free Wi-Fi, public toilets and changing facilities plus an information desk.
Deals are being negotiated with a café operator to provide hot drinks and snacks and a newsagent to serve passengers.
National Express buses will start using the Interchange from June 5 and tickets can still be purchased from the Visitor Information Centre at Town Hall Square.
Operators running services from the bus interchange will be: Arriva, Arrowebrook, Avon Buses, Aintree Coachline, D J Jones, National Express, Stagecoach and Townlynx.
A ‘where to catch my bus’ leaflet will be available in print form and on the council’s website listing all routes including Park and Ride buses using the bus interchange and highlighting other city centre stops.
Other features of the new bus interchange include:
■ Fully trained staff to offer assistance
■ Customer services office fitted with hearing induction loop
■ CCTV for personal security
■ Shopmobility telephone information point
■ Tactile maps and paving for the visually impaired
■ Rest room for staff and drivers
■ Cycle storage
John Cherry, owner of Aintree Coachline, who brought along a vintage 1972 Leyland National Crosville bus for a media briefing, said of the new bus interchange: “I’m very impressed. I think It’s a great investment by the council. I think it’s what’s needed for the city and it will bring people into the city and revitalise the city centre and I’m hoping it will put more money in my pocket and give me better holidays than I’m used to!”
He dismissed rumours about the curves being too right and the surface having to be lowered for double deckers.
