BUS travellers have won back their service - six months after it was cancelled.

Passengers lost the Bluestar 6 and 6a services which ran through Turnpike Way when its contract ran out and the company had planned to leave the road without buses.

But public opinion has persuaded the company to go into reverse and the Bluestar number 3 service is now running through the area during busy times.

The previous service ran every hour throughout the day. The new number 3 will be every half hour but only at peak times. Bluestar operations manager Alex Hornby said: "We made this decision as a response to public opinion and to try and encourage more people in the area to use buses. The times are also to be changed for the Bluestar service 3 route between Botley, Hedge End and Southampton to reflect traffic conditions and provide a more reliable timetable for bus users. Both of these changes are already in effect.

Mr Hornby said: "I can put my hand on my heart and say these are positive changes. Whilst monitoring current journey trends on Bluestar 3 we saw an opportunity to provide a reliable and realistic timetable and to return to an area where there is potential to grow bus use further.

"We are therefore pleased to return to Turnpike Way and hope that this package of improvements will give people a reason to break their hop in the car habit and use the bus.

"Bluestar 3 is a popular service owing to its direct line of route between Hedge End and Southampton.

"We hope more passengers will take advantage of it."

He went on to say there would be peak hour journeys at Turnpike Way in the rush hour periods to the city centre via Bitterne and Thornhill Park Road.

These will run from 6.53am until 8.23am and between 4.05pm and 6.05pm Monday to Friday. The new timetables are available on buses and from Southampton Tourist Information Centre.