This petition, organised by LU Politics Society, is asking for the Students’ Union (LUSU) to reconsider their decision regarding the cancellation of the SugarBus, the free bus between The Sugarhouse (Sugar) and campus.

The SugarBus previously offered students a safe and free way to get home, giving students – especially Freshers – peace of mind that they will never be left stranded in Lancaster after a night out. This is incredibly important considering the national coverage of the recent tragic cases of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa.

Research presented by LUSU in a recent training session found that 35% of Lancaster University students do not feel safe in town at night. It is shameful that LUSU is aware of this statistic and has still chosen to cancel the only safe way for on-campus students to get home after a night out. One of LUSU’s core values on their website is Courage, under which heading it is stated that “decisions are made in the best interests of Lancaster students, present and future”. The neglect for students’ welfare shown in making this decision directly contradicts this “core value” and is extremely concerning.

What is particularly concerning is that the Nightbus that The Sugarhouse Instagram has directed students to, as an alternative to the SugarBus, only operates multiple services Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. From Monday to Wednesday there is only one bus from town to campus that departs at 1am. This means that on-campus students who wish to attend Sugar on Wednesday nights – when most society social events take place – will be left stranded in town if they want to stay out past 1am or in the likely scenario that the bus reaches full capacity. There are simply not enough taxis in Lancaster to shuttle students from Sugar to campus. Students will be left in a dangerous position of choosing between waiting hours to get a taxi or walking over an hour back to campus. This is a disgraceful and unacceptable position for LUSU to place students in.

Furthermore, Sugar is known to be one of the safest nightclubs in the country and has received the Best Bar None Gold Award for three consecutive years at the NUS Awards. The Best Bar None scheme recognises students’ unions for their work in promoting student safety within the late-night industry. The cancellation of the SugarBus directly calls Sugar receiving this award into question. LUSU should be doing everything possible to encourage students to attend Sugar, to ensure that students have the safest nights out possible, rather than stripping measures that improve student safety.

We understand that difficult decisions have had to be made due to the financial position LUSU finds itself in following the pandemic. However, the extent of the effects that this decision will have on student welfare is overwhelming. The cancellation of the SugarBus should have been a last resort, with other options being explored and offered to students first. Increasing entry to Sugar by £1 to fund the SugarBus or charging a small fee for the SugarBus are just two examples of ways that student safety could have been prioritised. This decision sends a clear message that LUSU does not care about student welfare and safety

In summary, the cancellation of the SugarBus will have a severe negative impact on student life at Lancaster, putting many students in danger and causing distress, especially amongst incoming students. For this reason, and all those stated above, this petition asks for the reinstation of the SugarBus with immediate effect.

Students: we need your support. Make LUSU listen to students by signing and sharing this petition.

#SaveOurSugarBus