Bus Vannin has applied for further changes to scheduled bus services as part of the expansion of dial-a-ride.

ConnectVillages was launched in December as an on-demand minibus service linking Andreas, Bride and Maughold with Ramsey.

The service has no dedicated timetable or route.

Customers can be collected from their home and dropped off at their destination. Other passengers who are heading in the same direction may be collected along the way.

Dial-a-ride has already replaced most journeys on routes 16, 17, 18 and 20.

Now Bus Vannin has applied to the Road Transport Licensing Committee to make further changes as the on-demand service is planned to be extended to Jurby and the Ramsey estates from April 8.

Scheduled bus services to Jurby will be reduced so that most of the ’off peak’ journeys on routes 16,17, 18, 19 and 20 are replaced with ConnectVillages.

Daytime services to the Ramsey estates (Services OT and CL) will also be replaced.

Cabbies fear that ConnectVillages will destroy the taxi trade in the north of the island.

Plans to lift a restriction on another dial-a-ride service prompted scores of objections from taxi drivers in December.

ConnectPorts was launched as a 12-month trial in October with minibuses collecting passengers from their homes and taking them to the airport, and connecting with return flights at the end of the day.

Bus Vannin wanted to remove a restriction from its ConnectPorts licence that prevents minibuses picking up passengers on a narrow corridor along the main road to the airport between Onchan and Douglas.

It increased the frequency of routes 1, 11, 12 and 12A from every 20 minutes to every 15, but said there are still passengers who would prefer to use the dial-a-ride service.

But the RTLC refused the application at its last meeting.

Bus Vannin currently has RTLC approval to operate 90 buses and 10 minibuses.