The public is being asked for its views on plans to improve bus routes and create a new night bus through Kingston, following a 40 per cent increase in bus travel in the borough.

Passenger numbers have risen drastically in recent years in Kingston, and Transport for London (TfL) has launched a public consultation on a raft of improvements to services for 2007. Feedback must be received by Friday, September 29.

Plans include a new half-hourly night bus N85 from Putney through Kingston and Surbiton to Chessington which comes after requests from Kingston Council and the town's nightclubs.

More buses will run on route 71 from Kingston to Chessington, route 57 to Kingston Hospital, Tooting and Streatham Hill, route 213 to Sutton, route 371 to Richmond and route 85 to Putney.

Route 85 will also be extended to Penrhyn Road to provide better access to Kingston University, Kingston College and the courts.

Also up for extension will be route 131, creating a link from New Malden to South Wimbledon and Tooting.

Tony Adams from Kingston Area Travellers' Association (KATA) said: "Many of these changes we have been campaigning for for a long time, so we are very pleased."

Councillor Simon James, the council's executive member for transport, said: "I am delighted at these proposals from TfL, which are hugely positive for Kingston. The improvement will mean there is less need to bring a car into Kingston than ever before."

There is some re-routing planned on routes 406 and 418 to Tolworth to make it more direct via Surbiton Hill Road, which means it will no longer pass Surbiton station.

Mr Adams said that another bus runs past the station every seven minutes, adding: "Some people won't like that it's been re-routed but it will benefit more people."

Route 465 will be re-routed to run along Kingston High Street, Portsmouth Road and Surbiton Road, instead of Brook Street and Penrhyn Road. Kingston Council warned that this move could mean traffic congestion and recommended that waiting restrictions should be put in place.

Further details are available by visiting kingston.gov.uk/ bus_changes.

Residents' views can be e-mailed to consultation@tfl-buses.co.uk or call 0845 300 7000.

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