RELIEF is on the way for Bury bus drivers who have taken the "hump" over town centre traffic calming measures.

Transport bosses are giving £8,000 towards the cost of replacing speed humps in Market Street, Haymarket Street and Silver Street with straight ramps.

The move follows concerns about discomfort for bus drivers and passengers due to the design of the humps and subsequent bus diversions which have left areas of the town centre without a bus service.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority's decision to fund half the cost of the replacements will solve bus routing problems in Bury town centre.

Councillor Gordon Sharkey, Bury spokesman for the authority said: "I am delighted to see some progress being made in resolving this matter as ultimately it is Bury's bus passengers who suffer the consequences when bus services are routed away from the town centre.

"Under normal circumstances, the authority would not fund the cost of traffic calming works, but we always seek to put bus passenger interests first and are glad to assist on this occasion".

Temporary changes are currently being made to the bus routes to allow the work to be carried out.

Added Coun Sharkey: "I would ask bus passengers to bear with us for a little longer as GMPTE, the council and the bus operators are all working together to make changes to resolve the situation. I am glad we have been able to lend this financial help."

Work has already started in Silver Street and now all journeys departing from Bury Interchange on services 469, 471, 475 to 477, 480/1 and 510 will be re-instated along the street, enabling buses to serve the Castle Leisure Centre stop after an absence of around nine months.

The authority funding will enable work to take place in the near future to modify the humps in Haymarket Street and Market Street. In the meantime, inbound journeys on the 469, 471, 475 to 477, 480/1 and 510 services will be diverted via Jubilee Way instead of Bolton Street and Haymarket Street.

The services will return to their normal routes following the completion of works.

Following the problems at Bury, the GMPTE design guide for traffic calming on bus routes has been altered to include design details for the new type of ramp.