BUS company First is to reintroduce a cancelled York service after angry residents petitioned the council.

The operator changed its number 16 service in September so that it no longer ran along Boroughbridge Road and Beckfield Lane, in Acomb.

But residents who relied on the buses to get to Front Street in Acomb reacted with anger.

Two petitions, one containing more than 700 signatures, were sent to the council saying the service change would seriously affect their quality of life. The replacement would start in Acomb centre and go straight to the city centre and Monks Cross. But the public pressure has forced First to re-introduce a limited service. It will run between 9.15am and 3.15pm on weekdays.

First's commercial manager, Peter Edwards, said the exact details of the revised service had not yet been finalised, but it was thought that it would run on an hourly basis and would be on trial for a period of up to 18 months.

"The service between Acomb and Boroughbridge Road was cancelled because there wasn't sufficient patronage in the area," Mr Edwards said.

He said First felt that the area left without a service would be relatively small, but public criticism led them to rethink.

He added that the company was in talks with City of York Council about its bus services across the city.

Acomb residents stated in the petition: "We believe that the number 16 bus is a crucial link for many residents, particularly older people and parents with young children, and that the withdrawal of the service will seriously diminish our quality of life."

A second petition contained 100 signatures.

City of York Council's transport spokeswoman, Councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing, will discuss the changes with the council's advisory panel on Monday.

They will also consider changes to First's number 14 and 27 buses. Service 27 served Rawcliffe, Clifton Moor and Skelton until September, but, while the revised route maintains links between Skelton, Rawcliffe and York, the direct route between Skelton, Clifton Moor and York District Hospital was cancelled.

Service 14, which serves Bootham, Burton Stone Lane and Burton Green, was reduced to an hourly off-peak service.

Updated: 08:50 Thursday, March 06, 2003