Market Harborough estate regains its off-peak bus service

From July 1 a new service will start running during off-peak hours between the estate and the town centre, providing a link that was lost back in February.

Neil O’Brien, MP for Harborough, has welcomed confirmation that a bus service will be returning to the Southern Estate in Market Harborough, during off-peak hours.

The new service will be operated by Centrebus, beginning on Monday July 1 and provide a route from the Southern Estate to Town.

The estate lost its off-peak bus links to the town centre back in February. Until then Arriva’s X3 service between Leicester and Market Harborough also served the estate throughout the day.

Then in February the company said it was revising its timetable due to low passenger numbers on many of the services between the Southern Estate and town centre.

The move meant that the X3 now only goes to the Southern Estate in the mornings up until shortly after 10am, and then from 4pm to 8pm.

Many of the estate’s elderly residents pointed out this gap in service during the day meant they would either face long waits in the town centre before being able to return home, or having to find alternative transport for one of the legs of their journey,

Neil O’Brien MP said: “I’ve met with the bus operators and local authorities to press hard for this, and I’m really pleased about this news. I know how important the service was to residents wanting to get to and from town during the middle of the day.”

County councillor Dr Paul Bremner said: “Many residents, particularly the elderly, rely on this service and it’s great to see an off-peak service being restored to help people get around town and the Southern Estate again.

“I’d like to thank all residents who have been in touch on this.”

Neil concluded: “It is important as many people are aware of the new service as possible, to ensure it’s well utilised so I’d encourage everyone to make their friends and neighbours in the Southern Estate aware also.”