New bus route to Manx beauty spot gets under way

The first bus from Peel to the Sound has been scheduled to leave at 09:05 BST

A new bus route travelling to a Manx beauty spot "fills a big gap" in services between the west and south of the island, the infrastructure minister has said.

The daily 8S route, which has a journey time of one hour and 15 minutes, has been launched from Peel to The Sound, with a stop at the Cregneash folk village along the way.

Michelle Haywood said as well as allowing those without a car to get to the visitor attractions, the new year-round route provided additional access to the airport.

A service to the southern tip of the island was scrapped by the department last year on the grounds it was "not financially viable", leading to a campaign to reinstate them.

That public backlash, spearheaded by pressure group Save Our Cregneash Bus and local authorities in the area, prompted the minister to commit to a review of the decision.

The 8S service is scheduled to run every two hours, with the first leaving from outside Peel Town Hall at 09:05 BST.

The service will travel via St John's, Foxdale, Silverdale, Ballasalla, the airport, Castletown, Port Erin, Port St Mary and Cregneash.

The 8 route, which starts at The Sound, will operate hourly, beginning at 09:40.

"As the population of Peel and the west has grown, there has been greater demand for a link to the airport, from residents and visitors alike," explained Haywood.