How the reintroduced Night Bus is helping students safely enjoy Liverpool’s nightlife

Tens of thousands of students are about to return to Liverpool, or arrive here for the first time, and the Night Bus is helping them to make the most of going out in the city.

The N1 Night Bus, which was reintroduced in December last year, runs in the early hours of the morning every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

And it includes not just Wirral and the city centre but the areas of south Liverpool which have lots of student accommodation so it’s a cheap and safe way to get home at the end of a night out.

The service, which costs £2 per ticket, is operated by Stagecoach on a circular route that takes in Allerton Road, Smithdown Road, Upper Parliament Street and Myrtle Street as well as Hardman Street, Leece Street and Renshaw Street so it has student houses and the city centre bars, pubs and clubs all covered.

The N1 Night Bus was brought back after a combined campaign by LCR Music Board, the University of Liverpool, Future Yard, Nightlife CIC and the Civic Data Cooperative.

They were keen to find a way to support the city’s hospitality venues to boost custom and provide a reliable service for staff who finish work in the early hours.

Hayley Downey at LCR Music Board said:

“A lot of live music venues found that people had stopped going because they didn’t feel they could get home safely after a gig. 

“Night-time staff were also coming out from work and could end up spending two hours of their wages on travel home so we wanted to have something that would help everyone.

“It took us about two years to get the Night Bus service reintroduced and find a bus provider to run it so we need to get as many people as possible using it and students are definitely a key audience.

“Liverpool is known as a city that really welcomes students and we don’t want them walking home to Smithdown Road or Allerton at 3am because they’re worried about the cost of a cab when they could get a bus for £2. Encouraging students and freshers to use the Night Bus isn’t just about cost, it’s about making sure we look after their safety as well.”

The N1 starts at just after midnight from Liverpool ONE bus station and runs until 5.30am. It takes in Birkenhead bus station too so it’s a late night cross-river link between Liverpool and the Wirral.

The reintroduced service is still in its early stages, but campaigners are hoping it can be extended if it proves successful.

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