A SOCIAL enterprise is being set up in Liverpool which aims to provide bus services to areas not well served by major operators.

And one of the first services Liverpool Neighbourhood Transport (LNT) wants to set up is a route that will ferry people from the outlying parts of Merseyside to Anfield and Goodison on matchdays.

At present, the only dedicated football service is the Soccerbus which shuttles people between Sandhills railway station and the stadiums.

Will Thomson, one of those behind LNT, says that in the 25 years since the government deregulated UK bus services, the large operators have only been interested in routes that make money.

“Since 1986, bus services in Britain outside of London have been at the beck and call of private operators. They are only focused on the most commercial routes.”

LNT already holds a Community Bus Permit and is now going to seek funding from sources such as Merseytravel or Liverpool City Council to launch its services.

Mr Thomson added: “It is important to stress that we are not proposing to set up services to rival commercial operators – that is definitely not our intention.

“We simply want to plug the gaps in the current network and serve the community.”