One bus service axed as another launches

The number 32 bus, a half-hourly service which connected western Norton Canes to Cannock, was scrapped by transport bosses.

Residents said they only discovered the route had been lost when signs were put up at bus stops saying they were no longer in use.

But now Arriva has announced it is looking to start a number 34 route that calls at Church Road and Norton Green Lane. The service would begin on September 21 subject to approval from the Traffic Commissioner.

Arriva insists they have been drawing up the new route along with council chiefs for weeks and that they are not reacting to a campaign launched by Norton Canes residents.

But they say the new route will improve links throughout Hednesford, Heath Hayes and Norton Canes.

The service will run from 6.45am to 6.45pm Monday to Saturday. It will start at Cannock Bus Station, and run past the train station, the Orbital Retail Park, the Kingswood Lakeside business park, and Norton Canes including Norton Green Lane, and Walsall Road, Jerome Road and Norton Square before heading through Heath Hayes and Hednesford town centre.

Arriva spokesman Keith Myatt said: "This meets requests from residents in the Heath Hayes and Norton Canes areas for links with Hednesford and the Orbital Centre and it offers the opportunity for people that work in the Kingswood Lakeside park to get to and from businesses on those sites.

"We have worked closely with Staffordshire County Council and Cannock Chase District Council in the introduction of the new service over the last few weeks."

The Bring Back Our Bus campaign was launched by Amanda Milling, who is standing as the prospective Conservative MP for Cannock Chase in next year's general election

She said it was 'unacceptable' to cut old service completely and said people were left 'stranded' without the number 32.

A petition has been launched and already more than 100 names in favour of bringing the service back had been added to it.

Cannock Chase MP Aidan Burley said at the time when the service was cut in July that the move had left residents feeling 'cut off'.

Arriva bosses previously said passenger numbers on the 32 had fallen 'to a point where we could no longer sustain the service on a commercial basis'.

But they say the frequency of the 33 service, which runs through to Walsall, was increased to 20 minutes from every half an hour.

In February 2011, Arriva was forced to withdraw a decision to scrap the service after a campaign was launched to bring it back.