The inauguration of Yeovil's latest bus service took place in a Yeovil garden on Tuesday.

Newtown Tenant and Resident Association successfully applied for a £3,000 grant from Yeovil Town Council in January this year.

The application was made with a view to set up a bus service for people living in the Newtown area of Yeovil.

Newtown is located east of St Michael's Road and is poorly served by bus operators.

QUALITY OF LIFE

This has created problems for elderly and infirm residents lacking their own transport.

NTRA social secretary Philip Chandler ex-plained in the application that £3,000 would help finance one return trip on each Tuesday every week for three years.

"This service is a must if we are to uphold the freedom of movement and quality of life that these people are entitled to expect in a modern growing town such as Yeovil," he said.

Mr Chandler has been working on the project for three years and urged fellow members of the public to get stuck in if they want their communities to develop.

In February he told The Clarion: "This project has only been made possible by ordinary local people coming together and working for the things they want themselves. So, if there is something your community needs, then get together and find it - it's probably out there some where."

The bus made its first trip on Tuesday and to celebrate the occasion, the NTRA invited town councillors and the local press to a coffee morning at a member's home.

The bus leaves Victoria Road each Tuesday morning at 9.30am, calling at: Alexandra Road, Percy Road, Cromwell Road, Great Western Terrace, St. Michael's Av, Matthews Road, St Thomas Cross, Eastville, Lower Southville, Higher Southville, Gordon Road, Eastland Road, Tesco, Hendford Surgery, Penn Hill Surgery, The Borough and the bus station.Exact timings and fares can be obtained from South West Coaches (service 9) on 01935 475872 or 01963 33124.