BUS passengers living in Woolbrook Road will have improved access to both the town centre and Exmouth after pressure from a councillor led to the re-routing of a vital service.

BUS passengers living in Woolbrook Road will have improved access to both the town centre and Exmouth after pressure from a councillor led to the re-routing of a vital service.

From May 19, the 157 Coastlink Bus service will pick up from several new stops in the Woolbrook Road area following negotiations between operators Stagecoach and county councillor Stuart Hughes.

The service currently takes passengers from the Triangle, up Station Road and onto the B3176 Bulverton Road to Exmouth.

However there were concerns that the service was being under used, partly because it bypassed the Woolbrook Road area. Some elderly passengers had complained that they had to walk up to half-a-mile with shopping bags to catch the service from Bulverton Road.

But county councillor Stuart Hughes has been in talks with county bosses, and hammered out an agreement.

Now the service will travel from the Triangle, up Station Road, pick up passengers from Alexandria and Winslade Roads, turn left into Arcot Road and travel the length of the Woolbrook Road on the A3052 and on to Exmouth.

However, the re-routing will not apply to early morning buses or on Sundays, and John Richardson-Dawes, public transport co-ordinator at County Hall, said: "I can confirm that, with the exception of early morning buses, which don't have the time, service 157 will run Woolbrook Road, Exeter Cross, Arcot Road and Station Road - this will be Monday to Saturday.

"Sundays will remain on the existing Bulverton Road route because the service with which the 157 will interwork does not run on Sundays.