A bus route hit by the collapse of the transport firm which ran it has been saved.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Arriva today announced that the former Halton Transport 61 bus service will once again run in to Liverpool City Centre.
Last Friday, January 24, it was announced that Halton Transport, the bus operator run by Halton Borough Council, had collapsed, throwing the future of some of the region’s bus routes into doubt.
Arriva North West partially picked up the 61 bus route, which also operates through areas in Knowsley.
But concerns were raised as the route started and terminated at Broad Green and did not continue to and from Liverpool City Centre.
Over the past week, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and Cllr Graham Morgan, Leader of Knowsley Council, have been working on behalf of local residents to ensure that the service would still run along the entirety of the former route.
And after much speculation, the future of the route has now been announced, with Arriva agreeing to run the service from Halton Hospital into Liverpool City Centre, beginning this Monday, February 3.
Passenger use will also be monitored closely during the period to evaluate the long-term sustainability of the route.
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said: "Last week I stepped in and took action to ensure that no school children would be left stranded by the demise of Halton transport.
"Since then, we’ve been listening to the concerns of local residents and working closely with Cllr Graham Morgan, Knowsley Council and the bus operators to try and find a solution.
"I’m glad that Arriva have restored the service into Liverpool City Centre and would urge local residents to use the service to maintain it moving forward.”
The 61 bus route starts from Halton Hospital and continues through areas in Runcorn, Widnes, Rainhill, Prescot, Whiston, Huyton and more.
Cllr Graham Morgan, Leader of Knowsley Council, said: "Having access to reliable public transport is a key priority for our residents and something that we know is so important for the future here in Knowsley.
"As soon as we became aware of the situation with Halton Transport we began discussions with Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and colleagues at the Combined Authority to find a solution to the potential discontinuation and changes to the 61 service.
"I am pleased that my representations to the Metro Mayor were met with a willingness, from him and colleagues, to join forces to tackle this issue head on.
"Taking swift and decisive action has enabled us to find a solution and protect this important service.”
For details of the service visit the Arriva website here.
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