Image caption A charity has stepped in to provide transport for people unable to get to the hospitals on buses

A decision to end a bus service to two County Antrim hospitals for employees, patients and visitors has been defended by the public transport provider, Translink.

Its 218 and 219 services between Belfast, Ballymena and Coleraine have stopped at the Causeway Hospital and Antrim Area Hospital since 2012.

But the company took the decision to end the hospital stops in July.

A charity has now stepped in to provide the service using government funding.

When it introduced the hospital stops, Translink said it was to meet the needs of those working, visiting and being treated at the sites.

The withdrawal meant passengers travelling to either of the hospitals from Ballymena had to take two buses to complete one leg of their journey.

Forcing

Ulster Unionist councillor Steve Nicholl said Translink needed to "consider the knock-on effect".

"It's not conducive to helping people make the most of public transport," he said.

"You're forcing people into cars, you're forcing people into taxis, you're forcing greater expense.

"It misses the point of a socially provided public transport system.

"If we're going to reduce the number of hospitals where we deliver service, we have to make it easier for people to get to them."

Direct

Translink said the services no longer call at the hospitals because of low passenger numbers and frequent services to the sites are available from Coleraine and Antrim bus stations.

It added that passengers using the 219 service that stopped at Antrim Area Hospital requested a more direct express service.

Billy Moore, the manager of North Coast Community Transport, which normally provides transport to isolated and vulnerable people in rural areas, said it became aware of the removal of the service during a monthly meeting with Translink's area manager.

Funding from the social investment fund will allow the charity to provide a service.

"We spoke to the department about when the funding may be released and we're very hopeful that it should be within the next four or five weeks.

"I do think a lot of these health-type issues we could solve a lot better if there was a bit of cross-departmental working together."