Bus changes arrive early

Concerns were raised by Morton Parish Council and local people when the Gainsborough Into Town bus service was cut back in April, after the Government imposed a 20 per cent reduction in Bus Service Operators’ Grant.

Stagecoach temporarily reinstated the connection to Morton during off peak periods, while it conducted a review.

By working with Lincolnshire County Council, an innovative solution has been found by combining the peak Morton and Ropery Road bus services with school journeys into Trent Valley Academy and Queen Elizabeth High School.

This will save money and provide a much needed link between Morton, the town centre and the two schools.

Low floor buses will be re-introduced to all town services, including journeys to and from Morton.

Buses will run across town again, so people can travel between Park Springs, Vanessa Drive surgeries and John Coupland Hospital without changing bus.

And peak services will return between Morton and Gainsborough town centre.

From September, for the first time, there will be a public bus service from Morton, Ropery Road and Gainsborough town centre to Trent Valley Academy.

Stagecoach East Midlands commercial director, Dave Skepper said they had listened to residents and worked closely with the county council.

Lincolnshire County Council’s head of transportation, Chris Briggs, said it was a ‘win-win situation for everyone’.

“Students entitled to home to school transport can still get to and from school in a timely way and residents can make full use of the range of services,” he said.

County Coun Chris Underwood-Frost said he would encourage people to use the new service. “It may not be the whole service people were wanting, but in times like these there has got to be a compromise,” he said.

“Please use it, and let us know if there are any problems.”

The Connect 100 bus between Lincoln, Gainsborough and Scunthorpe will return to its original route along Morton Terrace, rather than Ropery Road.

Timetables are available from bus drivers or online at www.stagecoachbus.com. Call the Customer Care team with any queries on 0845 605 0 605.