CIVIC leaders were on board when local bus company Shamrock launched a public transport lifeline for Christchurch pensioners stranded by the loss of their previous service.

The Mayor, Cllr Josephine Spencer, and Christchurch MP Chris Chope, council leader Cllr Alan Griffiths and transport portfolio holder Cllr Nick Geary joined passengers on the inaugural extended service of Shamrock Buses no. 31 round Suffolk Avenue and Bronte Avenue on Monday.

The housing estates off Fairmile Road, characterised by bungalows and with a large pensioner population, have been without a scheduled bus service for more than 18 months.

But in response to lobbying by residents Christchurch council and the Poole-based Shamrock concern have put together a funding and routing package to help Fairmile folk get out and about again.

Running four return trips a day, the Shamrock 31 service leaves Christchurch town centre at 9.30am, 11.30am, 1.30pm and 5.30pm with stops in Bronte Avenue, Kings Avenue, Tuckton, Southbourne, Iford and Castle Lane, including Tesco, the Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Castlepoint shopping centre.

Return trips to Christ-church leave Castlepoint at 10.34am, 12.34pm and 4.34pm and the 2.34pm departure terminates at Kings Avenue.

The Mayor said: "I have met so many residents of this area who have recently not had access to a bus service, so I'm delighted that we've been able to join together with Shamrock Buses to provide this extension to the 31 service." Chris Chope MP added: "I congratulate the Council on this excellent initiative and hope that residents will find the new service very useful. I'm sure it will provide a lifeline for those local people who have no other form of transport."

Funding is in place to maintain the service until next spring when the viability of the route will be assessed.

Cllr Geary urged passengers to use the bus service or risk losing it.

"We believe local people will value this improved service, but they must use it now to guarantee its future," he said.

Shamrock operations manager Peter Brown said: "We are very happy to be helping people in areas which have lost their bus services.

"The council thinks it is worth doing, we want it to work and so do the people that have lobbied to get the bus."