Petition to save bus route presented to Tynwald

The petition was handed over to the MHKs by Christa Viohl (centre) this week

A petition of 916 signatures calling for the reversal of the scrapping of a rural bus service has been presented to the Isle of Man’s parliament.

The petition’s key points emphasise the impact on the area’s community, on tourism and on the general accessibility of transport in the south of the island for residents.

In July, the Number 28 bus service to the Sound and the folklife village of Cregneash was cancelled, after the government deemed it not “financially viable”.

Petitioner Christa Viohl said there had been “intense efforts” to discuss the issue with Bus Vannin, but “no progress to reinstate the service could be made”.

Public petitions need to be supported by a Tynwald member to be laid before the parliament, with further political support needed for the document to be debated.

Bus services are suspended while government decides whether to scrap the route

Ms Viohl's petition will appear on the parliament's January order paper after being put forward by Juan Watterson SHK, who is also a director of Rushen Heritage Trust.

The trust has backed the calls for the route's reinstatement after it said it received "regular complaints" about the lack of buses to the southern beauty spot from visitors to its heritage centre in Port Erin.

Newly appointed infrastructure minister Michelle Haywood MHK, who represents the constituency of Rushen alongside Watterson, said a “high quality reliable bus service that goes where people want, when they want to go at an affordable price is high on my list of issues”.

Ms Viohl said that over 2,000 signatures had been collected, but not all of them met the criteria for submission to Tynwald, such as those provided without addresses.

However, she said those eligible still amounted to a "big number" and the petition deserved "serious consideration for reinstatement of the service".

The petition described the bus route as a “vital link" for residents in the area and “crucial for tourists visiting these picturesque and historically significant locations, contributing to the local economy”.

In addition to the service's reinstatement, the petition also calls on Tynwald to acknowledge "that a weekday service is equally important to a weekend service".