A SERVICE recently used as a publicity tool to encourage people onto buses in the city is to be dramatically cut.
Arriva have confirmed that their 8 and 8a services would be altered just weeks after they were the subject of the bus company’s fuel calculator, encouraging people to use the service to save money on petrol.
New 9, 11, 12 and 17 services will replace parts of the route that will be lost by the 8.
An Arriva spokesman said: “We have been in consultation with the council and MK Bus Users Group since November and have also had recent discussions with local representatives and are considering some issues raised.
“The current route pattern is complicated with services between Kingston, Walnut Tree and Browns Wood operating via different routes. The new 8 service will offer a simplified and more direct link with a standard route in these areas, operating up to every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday daytimes.”
Councillor Jaime Tamagnini, ward councillor for Walton Park, is angry that parts of his ward will be cut off as a result of the changes.
He said: “The biggest losers are Kents Hill and Caldecotte who will be left with hourly services, neither of which will serve the hospital, doctors surgeries or Walton High.
“At the group we made it clear that the most important thing to residents who use or want to use buses is frequency and stability of routes.
“This chop and change is not only contradicting that policy, but also has made a bus journey from anywhere in my patch as clear as mud.”
Comments