RESIDENTS are celebrating a new bus service that will help "give them their lives back".
People living in Harefield have been campaigning for better services after cuts to routes and timetables left them stranded.
The previously named City Red 13 service has been replaced by Bluestar 13 - linking Harefield with the city centre.
Bluestar stepped in to replace the service after First Bus withdrew from the city.
READ MORE: Bus passengers urge council to save 'lifeline' services as cuts announced
Campaigner Jen Davies, 78, has been working with friends Emma Rowe and Barbara Hancock since 2015, campaigning for a better bus route in the area.
She said: "The service we had from First Bus was extremely poor.
"We had an hourly service only in the daytime, nothing in the evening, nothing on Sundays or bank holidays.
"But now, Bluestar has doubled the frequency for weekday times.
"They have also put on an evening service so people can actually go out in the evening and come back on [the] bus."
READ MORE: Campaigners hit out at hourly bus service 'nightmare’
Emma, 39, added: "It means so much, I have my life back again.
"I have a normal social life and I can get to my hospital appointments, people can get to and from work.
"We don't have to walk from another area because we can get back here now, which is a safety thing as well."
Bluestar’s general manager, Richard Tyldsley, and his team have been working closely with representatives of the Harefield Bus Campaign Group since First Bus’ withdrawal announcement.
READ MORE: Bus campaigners demand better services
Richard, who has worked at Bluestar for seven years, said: "The residents have been really engaged with us right from the start.
"Even before we announced what we were doing they were asking us if we could run a bus here.
"We've now done it for them, and they have been really supportive of getting people using the bus."
Speaking about Bluestar's expansion, he added: "It's been really good so far.
"We've got 80 new drivers starting with us, 80 people who were working at First have come over to us.
"They have been out on the roads today.
"We also have 30 extra buses in from across different parts of our operation.
"Today has been really successful."
Andrew Wickham, the Managing Director of Bluestar, took to social media following the recent expansions.
He said that all buses had been out running correctly and credited staff for the success.
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