Free Douglas Promenade shuttle bus service scrapped

The free shuttle bus service started in May 2019 along the seafront

A free shuttle bus service running during the refurbishment of Douglas Promenade has been stopped due to low demand, the Department of Infrastructure has said.

The service had been operating between 09:30 and 16:30 GMT between Summerland and the Sea Terminal.

Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer said nearly 4,500 passengers used the service between May and November.

However, a spokesman said there had since been "a significant decline".

The promenade would continue to be served by four scheduled buses an hour for "much of the day", he added.

The project started in November 2018 and was originally due to be complete by October 2020

Speaking in Tynwald in December, Mr Harmer said the "fantastic service" would "carry on until the end of the prom works".

Delays to the £25m scheme mean it is now expected to be completed in August 2021.

The DOI said it was in the interest of the "best use of resources, of both staff and vehicles" to stop the shuttle.

Clare Barber MHK, who is part of a scrutiny committee that took evidence from firms about problems they encountered during the promenade works, said she was "very keen that accessibility is a key consideration for the promenade during the delays to the scheme".

She added: "However, this needs to be delivered in the correct way and if the prom shuttle is not being used - assuming this is not just due to poor advertising - then the money should be redirected elsewhere."