CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating after the county council announced a U-turn over plans to axe a commuter bus service.

Gloucestershire County Council has confirmed that the 224 Dursley to Bristol commuter bus service will not end on May 18 but will continue for at least another 12 months.

Cllr Chas Fellows, cabinet member for economy and environment, said the county council had decided to continue the service because of the number of concerns raised by users.

He said: "Thank you to those who raised the issue and officers at the county council who have worked hard to find a solution that suits everyone."

He added: "We know how important this bus service is to people in this area and that’s why we were determined to find a solution that suits everyone."

Carolyn Thraves, from Dursley, who uses the service to get to her job at the Environment Agency in Bristol, said: "I’m so pleased that the council has listened to the many passengers who rely on this service as a means of getting to work. "It’s such a relief not to have to consider buying a car or spending three hours travelling each day."

Sarah Sandmann, who lives in Berkeley and works for the NHS, said: "What fantastic news. That is a result purely down to public pressure, very pleased and also massively relieved at this result. Thanks to the Gazette for all your help and input."

Heather Owens, from Berkeley, who is a civil servant and does not drive, said: "At least all our hard work has paid off for the moment.

"I'm so relieved that I can continue to get to work without the stress and worry of missing connections and greatly extended travelling time."

The service was being axed as part of the county council’s review of subsidised local bus services, designed to save £2 million.

Thanks to local campaigners and a Gazette article last month Gloucestershire County Council looked again at the service. The council claims if people keep using the service and encourage others to do so the council’s subsidy per passenger will drop from £12 to £8.

However, the council has warned that the service will be reviewed in a year and if it is not used it will not work.

A day return fare for an adult travelling between Dursley/Berkeley and Bristol will be £8, but a 10-trip ticket will be £35.

A new operator, Mike's Travel, will run the service from May 20, subject to approval from the Traffic Commissioner, the bus industry regulator.