STAGECOACH has granted a further one-year reprieve for the No65 bus serving Farnham, Bentley and Alton, following the results of a survey designed to better understand the use of the service.

About to be axed last year for under use, due to public pressure the No65 bus service was granted a nine-month reprieve in September to allow Stagecoach to establish if demand for the service could be increased enough to make it viable.

Bus passengers had argued that the Alton to Farnham bus was the only one to service the village of Bentley and that it provided a vital link for students and workers, and for access to Farnham Hospital, as well as those wishing to continue on to Guildford.

To support this initiative, a passenger survey was conducted by Alton Town Council and Bentley Parish Council, the results of which have now been analysed.

On the back of this, at a meeting of Alton Town Council’s planning and transportation committee, the news was that Stagecoach had confirmed that it would give the No65 bus service “at least a one-year reprieve.”

In discussing the results of the survey, at a meeting in March, the committee had pointed out that it was apparent from the 217 responses to the survey, “that the service satisfies a number of needs including being able to travel to and from work, and to college in Alton, as well as attending hospital appointments.”