A BUS service for Whiteley residents, threatened with the axe, has won a reprieve from Hampshire County Council.

First Provincial proposed to withdraw the Whiteley section of the 76/76A bus service to and from Fareham because they felt it was not viable.

Now the county council has agreed to subsidise the service to keep the Whiteley Yew Tree Drive section running, at a cost of £4,000.

But passengers have been warned to "use it or lose it".

The county council will reconsider the matter in August.

County councillor Peter Hutcheson, chairman of the public transport sub committee said: "The county council can't solve traffic problems in Whiteley alone - it takes a joint effort. But by providing the funds to keep the Whiteley section of the bus running for the time being we are showing that we are committed to improv-ing public transport links as one way of solving these problems.''

And he warned that the service could still be shut down if people "don't do their bit" and use the service wherever possible.

''It is always a question of use it or lose it, but we are prepared to give Whiteley another chance,'' he said.

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