Latest news with #BusVannin
ITV News
30-06-2025
- ITV News
Residents feel 'stranded' as future of Isle of Man southern bus route remains uncertain
Isle of Man correspondent Joshua Stokes reports on the cancelled bus route travelling from Port Erin to The Sound Residents and businesses in the south of the Isle of Man have said they feel 'stranded', after the removal of a bus service to the southernmost point of the island. Bus Vannin's seasonal service to The Sound was scrapped in the summer of 2023, after the island's government decided the route was not making enough money. Margaret Holmes lives in The Howe, one of the villages on the route. She says the lack of public transport has left some of the elderly residents feeling 'stuck in their own home', as many relied on the bus. She said: "There's no other way for people to either get to work at The Sound or Cregneash, visitor attractions, events that are on, you've got to have a car to get there." Margaret says some residents have been 'forced to provide the service' themselves, after offering lifts to tourists making their own way down the route. The stretch of road starting at Port Erin runs to The Sound, often described as one of the island's greatest beauty spots. Emily Thompson is manager of the Sound Cafe, and says the decision has left her struggling to recruit staff. She said: "We hire a lot of young people, a lot of whom can't drive. We have full-time staff who're older who can't drive, which is a huge issue. "It's really taken a toll. We have lots of customers still, but you do notice a little less. There would be rushes every hour when the bus came down so there is a big difference since we don't get it anymore." The Sound is popular with tourists, offering stunning views of the Calf of Man, with regular sightings of seals in the wild. Emily added: "You come over to the Isle of Man - you're a tourist you want to see this - you want to go to the tourists hotspots. "Tourists need public transport, so if you can't get down here, then you're missing out on possibly one of the best things on the island I'd say." Also on the route is one of the island's most treasured heritage sites - a Manx village built to replicate life in the 1800s. Cregneash is the oldest open-air folk museum, and another key tourist attraction along the bus route. Volunteers working in the village say they have seen a decrease in the number of visitors to the site, which they say goes against the government's strategy to increase tourism. Head gardener, Brian Kewley said: "The financial side of things to put that bus on is minimal compared to what you get out of it. "The heritage of the island is exceptionally important and this is one of the most amazing places on the island. If you're not fit you can't get here, so we need to get people to come here - how do we do that? We need a bus." Staff at the Rushen Heritage Centre in Port Erin say they 'regularly deal with angry visitors' trying to reach The Sound. Kathryn Potter from the Centre said: "We can understand how they feel because it spoils their holiday if they arrive in Port Erin expecting to go to Cregneash and The Sound and find that there isn't any public transport. "We had a full summer of it last year, and we're bracing ourselves for a full summer of it this year". The Isle of Man Government says while they are reviewing the future of the bus route, it's future remains uncertain. Founder of the campaign group 'Save our Cregneash Bus', Christa Viohl said that a decision needs to be made sooner rather than later, concluding that the bus 'shouldn't be looked upon only for profit'. A government representative has been approached requesting an interview with the minister, or a written statement on the latest developments.
BBC News
27-06-2025
- BBC News
Bus services to Manx beauty spot reinstated in new route
Bus services to a beauty spot on the Isle of Man are set to be restored as part of a new route linking the west and south of the Vannin is launching the 8S route, which is expected to run every day, year-round, from Peel to The Sound via Cregneash from 21 July, subject to approval by the Road Transport Licensing government said the decision to introduce the service was taken to "meet passenger requirements" and would "fill a gap in bus services" identified in consultation responses to a recent bus service follows the government's decision to scrap a seasonal service to Cregneash last year after being deemed not financially viable. A subsequent backlash, including the decision being dubbed "short-sighted" by Arbory and Rushen commissioners, led to Infrastructure Minister Michelle Haywood committing to review the is set to serve Peel, Foxdale, the airport, Castletown, Port Erin, Port St Mary and The government said the route would be reviewed once in place and might change based on the passenger said she was "delighted" that Bus Vannin was able to introduce the route, adding the service was "good news for residents and visitors to our island". Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Yahoo
Bus services to Manx beauty spot restored
Bus services to a beauty spot on the Isle of Man are set to be restored as part of a new route linking the west and south of the island. Bus Vannin is launching the 8S route, which is expected to run every day, year-round, from Peel to The Sound via Cregneash from 21 July, subject to approval by the Road Transport Licensing Committee. The government said the decision to introduce the service was taken to "meet passenger requirements" and would "fill a gap in bus services" identified in consultation responses to a recent bus service review. It follows the government's decision to scrap a seasonal service to Cregneash last year after being deemed not financially viable. A subsequent backlash, including the decision being dubbed "short-sighted" by Arbory and Rushen commissioners, led to Infrastructure Minister Michelle Haywood committing to review the decision. It is set to serve Peel, Foxdale, the airport, Castletown, Port Erin, Port St Mary and The Sound. The government said the route would be reviewed once in place and might change based on the passenger numbers. Haywood said she was "delighted" that Bus Vannin was able to introduce the route, adding the service was "good news for residents and visitors to our island". Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X. Future of bus route to beauty spot being reviewed Not running route 'short-sighted', authority says Petition to save bus route presented to Tynwald Local authority objects to scrapping of bus route Local authority objects to scrapping of bus route Criticism of scrapping of bus route to beauty spot Bus Vannin Department of Infrastructure
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
More data needed on Manx bus routes' profitability, says minister
"More detailed analysis" is needed to understand which bus routes make money on the Isle of Man, the infrastructure minister has Tuesday's House of Keys sitting, Tim Glover MHK questioned how many bus routes were profitable on the island, after a seasonal service to Cregneash and the Sound was Michelle Haywood said it was "hard to tell... due to the number of concessions and prepaid cards" that were in she confirmed her department was working to improve how data is collected and acknowledged that buses provide "essential access for residents". It is expected to cost £12.4m to operate Bus Vannin this year, with passenger revenue projected to be £5.4 £7m deficit will be covered by asked how former minister Tim Crookall was able to deem as "not financially viable" the number 28 route to a folk village and beauty spot at the southernmost tip of the to her appointment as infrastructure minister, Haywood - who is MHK for the area concerned - criticised the decision to pull the service last year. 'Detailed costing process' Hayward said she believed her previous comments may have been made in relation to "money collected on board the bus" and "didn't account for any income that should have been apportioned from various concession cards".She went on to say that a "true picture needs more data" since routes' total income is affected "by many things such as the number of commuters using prepaid cards or passengers who have subsidised minister confirmed the government's upcoming bus strategy included a move to implement a "detailed route costing process" to understand where subsidies were "most heavily applied and help guide future decisions about where public support should be focused".But Hayward stressed that the bus service was "not about profitability on routes, or trying to make a profit".Rather, she said it was "about trying to keep our communities connected and provide services they need so they can access schools, shops and community activities in a way that is convenient and cost effective for them". Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
23-04-2025
- BBC News
Not running Cregneash bus route 'short-sighted', authority says
A decision not to run buses on a route serving a folk village and a beauty spot in the south of the Isle of Man has been described as "short-sighted" by a local Department of Infrastructure (DOI) last year applied to scrap the seasonal route that runs from Port Erin to the Sound as it was no longer financially latest Bus Vannin timetables have not included the route for the second year of Arbory and Rushen Commissioners Peter Gunn said the DOI's decision "undermines rural connectivity, the local economy and the island's own tourism strategy". Last week, the Road Transport Licensing Committee (RTLC) said it had been advised by the Attorney General's Chambers that it had no legal powers to stop the bus operator from terminating the service. 'Clear failure' The seasonal route had been run between late May and the last weekend before the start of the autumn school term each year since 2021, but was scrapped last local authority was "dismayed that such a vital route" had been "allowed to disappear without proper consultation" with local authorities or "recognition of the growing demand from both residents and tourists", Gunn that a route to Niarbyl, a rural tourist spot in the west of the island, continued to operate, Gunn said it "feels as though key decisions are being made in silos, without any consultation between departments". The local authority said that both Cregneash and the Sound were "key" tourist sites, and the seasonal bus service had played a "critical role in enabling access to one of the most stunning parts of our island". There had been a "clear failure of joined up government", and Arbory and Rushen Commissioners urged the department to "listen to the communities it serves" and reinstate the route, he BBC has contacted the DOI for comment. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
