A MAJOR overhaul of buses in Burnley and Pendle, resulting in more services for hospital-bound passengers, will begin this Sunday.

Fewer buses will be seen on the streets of the neighbouring boroughs but the shake-up, by Transdev Burnley and Pendle, will mean more services arriving at Burnley General Hospital in Casterton Avenue.

It comes just weks after Transdev announced that services to Royal Blackburn Hospital would be cut.

Extra links will also be provided through Burnley town centre to Sainsbury’s and the Anchor Retail Park, and through to Nelson.

The Queensgate-based bus firm has also announced some bus routes will now benefit from low-floor buses for the first time and buses routes are to be re-numbered in an attempt to make it easier for passengers. Currently there is one service that runs between Burnley bus station and the hospital every 10 minutes and another which runs every 30 minutes.

Marketing director Nigel Eggleton said:”For most passengers the biggest change they’ll notice will be a different number on their bus.

“We’re changing the numbers to make it more user friendly, for instance the 101 becomes the 1.There’ll now be a bus service between the Burnley Bus Station and the General Hospital every seven or eight minutes during the day.”

The most significant changes will involve the new Starship 3 service, which takes over from bus numbers 3, 74, 111 and 112.