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New bus route to Manx beauty spot goes into service

New bus route to Manx beauty spot goes into service

BBC News6 days ago
A new bus route travelling to a Manx beauty spot "fills a big gap" in services between the west and south of the island, the infrastructure minister has said.The daily 8S route, which has a journey time of one hour and 15 minutes, has been launched from Peel to The Sound, with a stop at the Cregneash folk village along the way.Michelle Haywood said as well as allowing those without a car to get to the visitor attractions, the new year-round route provided additional access to the airport.A service to the southern tip of the island was scrapped by the department last year on the grounds it was "not financially viable", leading to a campaign to reinstate them.
That public backlash, spearheaded by pressure group Save Our Cregneash Bus and local authorities in the area, prompted the minister to commit to a review of the decision.The 8S service is scheduled to run every two hours, with the first leaving from outside Peel Town Hall at 09:05 BST.The service will travel via St John's, Foxdale, Silverdale, Ballasalla, the airport, Castletown, Port Erin, Port St Mary and Cregneash. The 8 route, which starts at The Sound, will operate hourly, beginning at 09:40."As the population of Peel and the west has grown, there has been greater demand for a link to the airport, from residents and visitors alike," explained Haywood.
Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
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