HAMPSHIRE'S transport chiefs are throwing people living in Test Valley's rural villages a lifeline - a new tailor-made bus service.

The Romsey area Cango demand-response minibus service will take to the road this summer.

Transport officials have pencilled in stops at Stockbridge town, Braishfield, Michelmersh, Timsbury, East Dean, Lockerley, East Tytherley, West Tytherley, Newtown, Awbridge, Mottisfont, Dunbridge, King's Somborne, Houghton, East Wellow, West Wellow and Plaitford.

It is also proposed to run the Monday-Saturday Cango bus in four south Wiltshire villages on the Hampshire border - West Dean, Landford, Hamptworth, and Nomansland.

Passengers will have to book the service by calling the county council's travel centre on 08456024135, when it is rolled out on Monday, July 4th.

Funding for the Cango, a 21-seater wheelchair accessible bus, is coming from the government's Rural Bus Challenge scheme aimed at meeting local transport needs and tackling social exclusion in rural areas.

Hampshire's deputy leader, Michael Woodhall, said: "The days of 40-seater buses charging around the countryside with few or no passengers I believe are coming to an end, but a new era is dawning where the county council and its partners will be providing hybrid services designed to meet, as far as possible, individual requirements" said Mr Woodhall.

Borough mayor, Neville Whiteley said the new service would have enormous benefits to villages not served by public transport.

"It's a brilliant idea and long overdue. Rural communities often get overlooked and people living in them get little for the council tax they pay. Present bus services in the villages are infrequent and are no asset to them. This new service is tailor-oriented for people and will give them the opportunity to travel to do their shopping or socialise."

Mottisfont Parish Council chief, John Millns, said he hoped the new service would not clash with the volunteer-run Broughton and Mottisfont Community Bus, which operates services to Romsey, Winchester and Salisbury.

"The new service should be integrated with volunteer services like the Broughton and Mottisfont Bus. It would not be a great help if it competed with it," said Mr Millns.

The Cango service - the first of its kind in Hampshire - is already running in the Andover area and has was honoured at the 2003 National Bus Industry Awards.

Former Euro MP Roy Perry is concerned that the new Cango bus could replace the Number 39 Romsey-Nomansland service via Wellow.

Mr Perry travelled on the No 39 bus to get the views of passengers on the proposed changes in the Wellow area. He said about two-thirds of the passengers he spoke to were concerned about the timing of buses in the proposed restructure of services. Mr Perry claimed college students and people catching the No 39 bus to visit the doctor's would be worst affected by the changes.

"There are a good number of people who for one reason or other have to rely on public transport and cannot just hop in a car. The arguments about doctors' surgery times and making bus connections to go onto college are serious points," he said.

In response to Mr Perry's concerns, a county spokeswoman, said: "We understand that these times may not be convenient to everyone, but on the other hand we're also offering an additional afternoon journey, widening travel opportunities. At the moment we're not ruling the Plaitford-Wellow-Landford service in or out of the Cango, but things will become clearer shortly. We will of course speak to Mr Perry and Wellow Parish Council about their concerns before a final decision is reached." Transport bosses are currently looking at tenders to run the service.