A SCHEME providing Hyndburn residents with seaside trips from £1 will go ahead after council bosses stepped in.

The plan to provide a new coastal bus route for residents follows an outcry after a number of popular summer services were axed in the past few years due to funding cuts, the most recent announced just this year.

The service to Blackpool and the Fylde coast, which will operate three times a week and on bank holidays between May and August, will provide £1 fares to NoWcard holders and disabled residents and £8 to other passengers.

Starting from Knuzden at 9.30am, residents can catch the Red Rose Travel bus from stops across Hyndburn.

Hyndburn Borough Council have announced the new service just two months after Transdev’s announced the popular X64 service would not begin as usual this Easter, as it was no longer covered by the senior citizens concessionary fares scheme. In response to the problem, Hyndburn Borough Council stepped in and contacted Red Rose Travel, who had also provided a summer service up until two years ago.

Council leader Peter Britcliffe said: “We’re glad to put funding into this scheme and I’m delighted that our NoWcard holders and disabled residents can get out and about this spring and summer for just £1.

“We negotiated with Red Rose Travel to provide the service for trips to Blackpool and on to Cleveleys and Fleetwood over the summer months.

“This special bus route will allow people to get out and enjoy the fresh sea air and a walk along the promenade.

“Trips like these encourage people to be active and keeps them young at heart. It also gives many people something to look forward to, which isn’t going to cost a fortune.”

The service will start on May Day Bank Holiday on May 3 and then every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, until the August Bank Holiday on August 30.

The service calls at Windsor Road in Knuzden, Byron Close in Oswaldtwistle, Oswaldtwistle Library, Little Blackburn Road in Accrington, the Hare and Hounds in Clayton-le-Moors, Holgate Street in Great Harwood and Harwood Road in Rishton.

For more information call Red Rose Travel on 01254 399019.