SEVEN bus routes have been axed by Merseytravel after a cash-cutting review of services in the borough.

The shake-up began in May last year and has already covered St Helens, Sefton and Liverpool.

Working as part of the ‘Bus Alliance’ - a formal partnership with Arriva and Stagecoach - the travel organisation is hoping to create a “simpler, clearer and more direct network that can help encourage more people to take the bus.”

Changes will take effect from Sunday, September 3 some of the changes include access to Bromborough Industrial estate will now be served by the 38 service, the 124/125 service will, on evenings and Sunday, travel through Seacombe and on to Woodside.

The 84 service has been re-routed via Poulton Lancelyn and extended to Heswall providing more access to Clatterbridge Hospital and the 90 route has been extended to serve the Holmlands Estate to fill the gap left by the withdrawal of the 154/155 service.

A consultation with passengers has also resulted in adaptations to routes and services beyond those that were originally proposed including the decision by operator Arriva not to withdraw the 423 which will be slightly altered.

Cllr Liam Robinson, chair of The Combined Authority Transport Committee, which oversees the work of Merseytravel, said: “The review of the Wirral bus network has resulted in a number of changes which we believe will help to make a clearer, simple bus network for the area.

“We’ve worked hard with operators to devise the new network and have listened to people who live and work in Wirral during the consultations, making some changes to our initial proposals as a result.

“This is another example of us working innovatively through the Bus Alliance to provide cost-effective services, at a time when some areas outside our City Region have communities left with no services at all.

“We do appreciate that some services have been removed and in some cases, people may have to walk slightly further to a bus stop or make a connection to complete their journeys, but where possible we’ve ensured that everyone can access bus services.”

The following services will be withdrawn:

112 (New Ferry to Poulton Lancelyn)

113 (New Ferry to Heswall)

118/119 (New Brighton, Arrowe Park Hospital, Mill Park)

154/155 (Birkenhead Bus Station to Prenton)

286 (Eastham Ferry, New Ferry to Eastham Ferry)

293 (Woodside to West Kirby)

403 (Seacombe to Arrowe Park Hospital)

901 (Leasowe to Moreton)

New services:

1A/1B/1C (Moreton Cross Circular via Leasowe Station)

408/409 (Wallasey to Woodside to Wallasey)

Bus services revised:

10/10A (New Brighton to Arrowe Park Hospital)

38/38A (West Kirby to Croft Retail Park Bromborough)

84 (Clatterbridge Hospital to Raby Mere)

85 (Heswall to Clatterbridge Hospital)

90 (Woodside to Prenton and Oxton Circular)

106 (Liscard to New Brighton to Moreton Cross)

110 (New Brighton to Clatterbridge Hospital)

124/125 (Wallasey to Seacombe Ferry)

145/146 (Moreton Cross / Upton / Birkenhead Bus Station to Mill Park)

203 (Woodside to Seacombe Ferry)

218/219 (Mill Park to Woodside)

410 (New Brighton to Clatterbridge)

413 (Seacombe to Arrowe Park Hospital to Woodside)

418/419 (Mill Park to Arrowe Park Hospital to Woodside)

423 (Seacombe to Liverpool)

492/495 (Woodside to Noctorum)

Further work is currently on-going to find solutions to some of the other issues raised during the consultations.

Full details of the changes can be found on the Merseytravel website at http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/busreview