A new bus route serving a marginal area of the East End enhances mobility for residents of St George’s, particularly seniors, the transport minister said.

Owen Darrell said the move came after seniors along Cut Road complained of difficulty walking long distances to their nearest bus stops.

Route 6, which started a trial run in February, has been extended until the end of May as monitoring continues.

The bus passes near Gates Fort and along Cut Road at the easternmost tip of St George’s.

Under a new arrangement for the trial, the 10.10am departure of the Route 6 bus from St David’s to St George’s will travel via Cut Road to Gates Fort.

It will turn around at Gates Fort before terminating at the St George’s bus depot.

The bus will then enter Cut Road at 10.30am and depart Gates Fort at 10.35am, where it will proceed directly to the depot.

Passengers wishing to continue beyond the depot were advised that they would need to transfer to the next bus departing the depot.

In the afternoon run, the bus departs from St David’s at 1.40pm and travels along Cut Road to Gates Fort before arriving at the St George’s depot at about 2.20pm.

In a previous advisory, the Department of Transport said passengers boarding the bus between Gates Fort and the St George’s depot would have to disembark and transfer to either the Route 11 Hamilton bus at 2.30pm or 2.45pm, or the Route 10 Hamilton bus at 3.15pm to continue their journey.

Today, Mr Darrell advised residents not to park along Cut Road or at Gates Fort because the vehicles could obstruct the bus and present a safety hazard.

He said: “This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to responding to the transportation needs of the community.

“The trial forms part of a broader effort to improve public transport across the island.”

He said the Government’s investment in 70 electric buses had been a significant step in modernising the fleet, while supporting environmental goals.

Renée Ming, a government MP in St George’s, said Cut Road residents had shared concerns, mainly about the long distance to the nearest bus route.

She said that two years ago, more than a dozen people expressed interest in the route and in the lead-up to the General Election in February, it was flagged up again by more than 50 people.

She said: “There were some people who not only expressed it for themselves but they were expressing it for their neighbours, their families.

“So it's not just a concern for people who come from Cut Road. It came from people in the town area but who have family who live here on Cut Road.”

She added: “We see this as being a good start and we hope that this trial is taken up by everyone who mentioned to me that this is what they would like to see.

“Because it is not only just our seniors — there are other residents who said this is a long walk.”

She thanked Mr Darrell and advised residents to make full use of the route.

The Department of Transport will continue monitoring the service and assessing feedback.