A NEW shuttle bus serving the country's first toll-road area will carry its first passengers on Monday.

Travellers will be able to use the bus to reach the peninsula, in Durham City, home of the cathedral and castle World Heritage Site.

The service, called Cathedral Bus, will run every 20 minutes each day until late afternoon, calling at the city's coach park, car parks, railway station, opposite the bus station, Market Place and cathedral.

Journeys cost 50p, or 25p for pensioners and children under 14, and Explorer North-East tickets can be used.

The service will use two 14-seater Optare Alero vehicles that can lower their front suspension - or a ramp - to give easy access to wheelchairs, prams and buggies.

It will be run for Durham County Council, which pioneered the road toll, and be funded by on-street parking charges and the toll, officially called an access charge.

The toll scheme is due to start in late September or early October, and is designed to reduce by half the 3,000 vehicles using the narrow roads past Market Place to the cathedral, castle and Durham university colleges.

Officials hope it will ease city centre congestion and reduce the conflict with pedestrians, particularly in Saddler Street.

Little opposition was expressed to the scheme during formal consultation on the proposals.

The £2 toll will apply between 10am and 4pm, apart from on Sundays, and there will be exemptions for people who live in the area.

The council's Labour leader Ken Manton said the buses would provide a "quick, convenient and more environmentally-friendly" alternative to accessing the historic heart of the city.

He said: "In conjunction with the access charging scheme, I'm sure it will make the city a safer and much more pleasant place to visit.''

Further details of the bus service are available from Traveline on (0870) 6082608