A COUNCILLOR has urged people to make good use of local buses following the reduction of a service.

The Reays number 21 service, which starts in Frizington and stops in Cleator Moor, is now run every hour on Saturdays - down from a half-hourly service.

The service takes customers to and from Whitehaven. It also stops at West Cumberland Hospital.

The company said the half-hourly service was no longer "viable" on a Saturday because it was not busy enough.

Reays also said that because of the removals of bus service subsidies by Cumbria County Council, the number 21 "must be used by sufficient passengers to ensure it continues".

The service had been popular, with passengers reportedly refusing to board the earlier Stagecoach bus which runs along the same room - saying that the Reays 21 service is more convenient and cleaner.

Reays started the service only last year after Stagecoach reduced its services between the towns from every 15 minutes to every half hour.

Stagecoach has since introduced the 31H service, when combined with its existing services, 15-minute frequency between Whitehaven and Frizington.

Town councillor Richard Wood uses the buses himself and said the reduction of the service was "disappointing" but urged people to use the services if they want them to remain.

A spokesman for Reays said: "The number 21 public bus service, which operates between Frizington and Whitehaven, is to run every hour instead of every half-hour on Saturdays from September.

"The route is not busy enough on Saturdays to make a half-hourly service viable any longer on that day. The removal of subsidies by Cumbria County Council means that, like all our public bus services in Cumbria, the number 21 must be used by sufficient passengers to ensure it continues.

"However, we want to keep the route running as we understand its importance to local communities all along the route and the service remains half-hourly during the week. We thank all our customers for their continued support."