St Margaret’s Bus Station was built in 1985 and at the time was a state of the art facility. The impact of the deregulation of bus services, increasing car ownership and reduction in walking has meant that use of the bus station declined and in the late 1990s it had become run down and subject to some antisocial activities. A number of improvements to the bus station have been carried out, but there is still much more that could be done to improve the bus station and encourage people to use public transport.
St Margaret’s Bus Station is a key arrival point for many visitors to the city as well as being a vital link in the city’s transport network. Over 40 different services use the bus station making over 226,000 departures each year between them. At least 15 different coach companies use the bus station as their arrival and departure point for both scheduled and non-scheduled trips throughout the year.
As one of the key arrival points and a vital link in the city’s transport network, it is often one of the first impressions new visitors have of the city.
It is the primary departure point for the majority of Arriva services and an arrival point for many county commuters. With the development and expansion of the Shires shopping centre, the bus station will be closer to, and more integrated with, the city centre.
With the regeneration of Leicester taking momentum and new developments occurring, the bus station will also be receiving a much-needed facelift. The new-look bus station will have comfier seating, improved travel information and customer services and a drivers’ rest area.
Work commenced on 16th January 2006 with the installation of new seats on Gravel Street. Further works are set to take place over the next few months.
For further information on these works please click on the links below.
