Major Changes to Milton Keynes Bus Services from April 17th

11.56.08pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 6th Apr 2005

Liberal Democrat Councillor Graham Mabbutt, Milton Keynes Council cabinet member with responsibility for transport, has announced a number of improvements in bus services from 17 April.

Graham said: "These changes bring about service improvements that will benefit a number of areas. Additionally, by working with MK Metro, we have been able to incorporate some of our subsidised services into MK Metro's commercial network, giving us more efficient use of the money we are investing in bus services. In addition, seven more low-floor buses have been introduced into Metro's fleet. We hope these changes will encourage more people to travel by bus."

The highlights of the changes include:

• A brand new service that will run every 20 minutes from Bletchley to Walnut Tree, Kingston, the City Centre and Westcroft, replacing former services 19 and 210. From Westcroft the service goes on to either Tattenhoe (Service 8), Kingsmead (Service 8A) or Medbourne (Service 8B)

• Reintroduction of the link between Fenny Stratford and the Lakes Estate via Manor Road with new service 27 (every 30 minutes) and the no.5 from the Lakes Estate via Fenny every 10 minutes

• A two-hourly service 1B from the City Centre via Newport Pagnell, Olney and Stoke Goldington to Northampton, replacing the former no. 36 service

• MK Metro has taken over service 158 from Stagecoach (CMK via Newport Pagnell to Cranfield) which will now run every two hours as the 1A

• MK Metro has taken over service 132 from Transit (CMK via Newport Pagnell to Bedford) which will run every two hours (as at present) as service 24, but with some journeys extended to Bletchley via MK General Hospital.

Other changes include:

• the no.2 using the grid roads (Overstreet and Dansteed Way) instead of going through Downhead Park

• the no 2E evening services contract being won by Z&S replacing Arriva

• revised times for service 18 (Bletchley - Simpson - City Centre)

• revised times for service 20 (Walnut Tree - Open University - City Centre - Westcroft - Kingsmead)

• service 22 (Newton Blossomville, Tyringham/Filgrave) extended to Gayhurst, Ravenstone, Weston Underwood and Olney on some journeys

• revised times and additional journeys for the no. 30 and 31 (Newport Pagnell - Wolverton - Stony Stratford - Bletchley via Willen and Dansteed Way)

• Sunday service 33 - CMK to Hanslope has been taken over by MK Metro from Stagecoach (as Northamptonshire County Council has withdrawn the subsidy between Hanslope and Northampton, the service on Sundays now runs from CMK to Hanslope)

• Sunday service 131 - CMK - Olney- Bedford is now renumbered no. 1

Park and Ride and Coachway Services are now served by MK Metro Service 200 (from the Park & Ride Site and Coachway) every 15 minutes on Saturday and every 30 minutes on Sunday to Friday, with the Stagecoach X5 also picking up from the Coachway every 30 minutes giving four buses an hour.