Bus route through Northampton will be shortened after taking less than £30 a day

A Stagecoach service in Northampton is to be changed significantly on Sunday, January 29.
A Stagecoach bus services is to be pulled from two Northampton areas after taking less than 30 a dayA Stagecoach bus services is to be pulled from two Northampton areas after taking less than 30 a day
A Stagecoach bus services is to be pulled from two Northampton areas after taking less than 30 a day

The changes affect the number 88, which runs four times a day Monday to Friday - from Links View to Kingsley, bypassing the town centre.

Stagecoach has taken the decision to remove the section between Kingsley and Northampton College due to "exceptionally poor usage".

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But passengers are unhappy as the last bus will now run at 2pm, leaving residents with little time to return home.

Councillor Catherine Russell who represents the Kingsley Ward on Northampton Borough Council has raised concerns about the impact that this will have on residents.

She said: “I have written to both Stagecoach Buses and Country Lion asking what could be done to improve services in my ward and Northampton generally.

“The bus companies say that the services have been withdrawn because of poor uptake and low passenger numbers on this particular route.”

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It is understood that there is a larger number of older people that live in Kingsley who do not have transport to get to the hospital.

“It is little wonder that the town centre is pretty much deserted most days,” Councillor Russell added.

“Most affected by the extremely poor service are residents in the Links View area of my ward as well as quite vulnerable residents of Bethany and Methodist Homesteads.

“Many residents in Kingsley and Links View believes Northampton has the worst bus services in over 70 years and they ask when something will be done to improve public transport facilities.”

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To add to their problems, the local doctor's surgery, Greenview Surgery, are asking for anyone who needs an emergency appointment on Monday and Tuesdays to attend at Leicester Terrace surgery. off Barrack Road.

Councillor Catherine Russell has offered to work with both organisations to see if it’s possible to run extra later daytime services for a trial run.A spokesman for Stagecoach Northampton said: "An average of only 26 passengers a day travel on service 88 between the Kingsley area and Northampton - 15 adults and children and 11 concessionary passengers, generating an overall average revenue of £27.75 per day, which regrettably comes nowhere near covering the operational costs involved."