A NEW High Wycombe bus route linking Handy Cross with Cressex Business Park and the railway station and town centre has launched this week.

Route 8 launched on July 29 and will run every 20 minutes from Handy Cross park-and-ride, to serve the business park, hospital, rail station and town centre before returning to Handy Cross.

A few special direct express services between Handy Cross and the station will run in the morning and evening peak hours for commuters.

It comes weeks after a number of Arriva bus services were axed after Bucks County Council funding for them dwindled.

Parking at Handy Cross park-and-ride is free, and return travel on Mondays to Fridays will be free for passengers from Handy Cross direct to the business park, hospital, station or town centre until the end of March 2020 in a bid to encourage business park workers to leave their cars at Handy Cross to relieve congestion.

The service, run by Carousel Buses, is being supported financially by Wycombe District and BucksCounty Councils, using funding from developers and combines routes PR1 and PR2, run by Carousel, and Arriva’s route 34.