Island Roads and Southern Vectis have teamed up to provide a free shuttle bus for use by Shanklin residents during work to rebuild and resurface Victoria Avenue.
The bus will run at regular intervals during the morning and early afternoon – Monday to Saturday – between the Sandford garage stop and Shanklin Co-op throughout the improvement scheme that began yesterday (May 2)
Island Roads has agreed with Southern Vectis to provide the bus as the extent of work required over 17 days and nights to improve Victoria Avenue makes it necessary to close the road around the clock.
The decision follows consultation with residents including a visit to the town of Island Roads’ mobile visitor centre last week when staff were able to discuss the scheme and its impact with residents.
The bus’s eastbound route will be Sandford – Shanklin Road – Victoria Avenue – Chatsworth Avenue – Orchard Road – Batts Road – Sibden Road – Furze Hill Road – Hatherton Road – Brook Road – Landguard Road (Co-op).
The Westbound route will be Landguard Road (Co-op) – High Street – Grange Road – Pomona Road – Westhill Road – Victoria Avenue – Shanklin Road – Sandford.
The first service from Shanklin Co-op departs at 9.15am and is half hourly until 1.15pm. The first service from Sandford will be at 10am and will run half-hourly until 1.30pm. Users may request the shuttle bus to stop along the route and the driver will stop as long as it is safe to do so.
The bus is a single decker vehicle displaying ‘Shanklin’ or ‘Sandford’ depending on its destination
Derek Benfield, Island Roads project manager, said: “On each of our schemes we do seek to keep the impact on residents to a minimum. The project at Victoria Avenue presents a particular set of issues because of the extent of improvement work required and the fact this is a major route that also serves many residential roads that lie off it.
“Given these circumstances, we are very pleased to have reached an agreement with Southern Vectis for one of their vehicles to provide a free regular service during the mornings and afternoons.”
Richard Tyldsley, Southern Vectis general manager, added: “These works are entirely necessary, but we understand they can present a challenge to those wishing to make their way across this route.
“We’re pleased to be helping by working with Island Roads to operate this free shuttle service.”
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