'It is really important, there are a lot of people that are isolated': Northampton residents on the bus again after old service reinstalled

A new twice-a-day bus service was introduced yesterday (Monday) between Links View and Northampton town centre, operated by Britannia Buses.

The new No.13 will pick up passengers from Northampton town centre's North Gate station and stop at Kenmuir Avenue, Hazeldene Road, Randall Road, Kingsley Road, Kettering Road and return to Northampton town centre.

Links View resident Joan Toy was one of the first passengers on the service yesterday.

She said: "It's brilliant, absolutely lovely. I was on it yesterday and it was full, it was really good.

"Today, I went out and there was quite a crowd at the bus stop at the bottom of the hill.

"It's really important. There are a lot of people that are isolated. We do need it."

The service will run twice-a-day at 9.30am and 12.30pm between Monday and Saturday, with no service on Sunday.

The new service has not only been warmly welcomed by Links View residents but by ward councillor Cathrine Russell (Lab, Kingsley) too.

She said: "It's been a cooperative effort, which started way back on the 8th of December 2017 when I had a meeting at the Pioneer pub, which must have had 60 people there."

Councillor Russell, county councillor Anjona Roy (Lab, St George) and Kingsley and Links View Residents' Association presented a petition to Northampton Highways in 2017 and have since been campaigning hard to reinstate a bus service in their ward.

"Gosh, I'm so relieved," she added. "Because people become so isolated - especially in Link View - there is a certain demographic there."

But there has been one hiccup, which was taken in good humour.

"The funny part about it was on the return journey back there was a driver and he did not know the way, so my husband told him," Joan added.

For more information on the service, click here.