IPSWICH Buses is to reduce the frequency of two services linking residential areas to the town centre.

IPSWICH Buses is to reduce the frequency of two services linking residential areas to the town centre.

Bosses have blamed the current economic climate for the alterations, which are set to save the company around �100,000 a year.

The changes, which come into force from June 1, will affect bus routes one and three - connecting Ravenswood and Gainsborough to Ipswich town centre and railway station.

The service will no longer operate every ten minutes but will instead be provided at a reduced frequency every 15 minutes.

Fares will not be affected by the change, which managing director Malcolm Robson says reflects the slowdown in development at Ravenswood.

“The amount of building is not what we anticipated because of the current financial situation,” he said.

“We went out and did quite extensive market research and have responded to what people said. This is a very important link for people who use commuter trains to London.”

Ipswich Buses chairman Paul West also announced that although all service one and three buses will continue to carry passengers to Sainsbury's, in a measure aimed at saving customers from paying more for fares, the extended journey to Suffolk Showground will only operate at peak times.

He said: “Fares were last raised in October 2007 and we plan to keep them the same at least until 2010

“We want to do all we can to encourage people to use our buses.”

Will you be affected by the alterations? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk