Petition for Bus Route Reinstatement Presented to Tynwald

The Isle of Man’s parliament has received a petition bearing 916 signatures, which advocates for the reinstatement of a rural bus service that was previously discontinued. The central arguments within the petition highlight the consequences for the local community, the tourism sector, and the overall availability of transportation for residents in the southern part of the island. The Number 28 bus service, which served the Sound and the folklife village of Cregneash, was discontinued in July, following the government’s determination that it was not “financially viable”. Christa Viohl, the petitioner, stated that despite “intense efforts” to engage in discussions with Bus Vannin regarding the matter, “no progress to reinstate the service could be made”. For public petitions to be formally submitted to the parliament, they require endorsement from a Tynwald member; additional political backing is then necessary for the document to proceed to a debate. Ms. Viohl’s petition is scheduled to be included on the parliament’s January order paper, having been sponsored by Juan Watterson SHK, who also holds a directorship at Rushen Heritage Trust. The trust has supported the demands for the route’s restoration, citing “regular complaints” it received from visitors to its heritage centre in Port Erin concerning the absence of bus services to the southern beauty spot. Michelle Haywood MHK, the recently appointed infrastructure minister who represents the Rushen constituency alongside Watterson, commented that a “high quality reliable bus service that goes where people want, when they want to go at an affordable price is high on my list of issues”. Ms. Viohl indicated that more than 2,000 signatures had been gathered; however, not all of these fulfilled the requirements for submission to Tynwald, including those submitted without accompanying addresses. Nevertheless, she asserted that the eligible signatures still constituted a “big number” and that the petition merited “serious consideration for reinstatement of the service”. The petition characterized the bus route as a “vital link” for local residents and “crucial for tourists visiting these picturesque and historically significant locations, contributing to the local economy”. Beyond seeking the service’s reinstatement, the petition additionally urges Tynwald to recognize “that a weekday service is equally important to a weekend service”.