By Jenni DixonA CHEAPER and more frequent service is promised on the new Halesworth to Norwich bus timetable, including an extra through route from Bungay to prevent passengers being left stranded.

By Jenni Dixon

A CHEAPER and more frequent service is promised on the new Halesworth to Norwich bus timetable, including an extra through route from Bungay to prevent passengers being left stranded.

There will now be 12 services on the 588 route between Halesworth and Norwich every day, except for Sundays and Bank Holidays.

They include the 2.05pm service from Norwich that now goes on to Halesworth after previously terminating at Bungay.

In addition, new cheaper fares will be introduced for a trial period when Anglian Coaches embarks on its new and improved timetable on April 19.

Passengers from Halesworth and Norwich will save 50p on their usual £4.50 return ticket and Bungay residents will enjoy a £2 discount from a £4 return to Norwich to £2 until May 29, with the usual half-price travel for concession passholders and reductions for the under 16s.

Andrew Pursey, director of Anglian Coaches, said: “The revised timetable is in response to some brilliant feedback from our passengers and we are pleased to be able to respond accordingly.

“We have had some teething problems, but the feedback from passengers is encouraging and it is silly to ignore their suggestions and comments.

“The new fares are a toe in the water - cheaper fares seem to work with budget airlines and if we can attract a few more passengers, we may continue it after the trial period is up, but we will have to see how it goes.”

The service, which started in January, was criticised after the wrong information was put on about 3,000 leaflets distributed around Halesworth.

That resulted in some passengers being left stranded in Bungay after discovering their bus would not be going on to Halesworth, as the erroneous timetable had led them to believe.

Bill Pagan, chairman of Halesworth Town Council, who took the issue up with Anglian Coaches, said the company deserved praise.

“We're very pleased that Anglian Coaches are listening to people and putting in changes accordingly,” he added.

“It's now up to the residents of Halesworth to take advantage of the concessions and services and give the company sufficient encouragement to carry on the service.”

jenni.dixon@eadt.co.uk