HUNDREDS of villagers are in a battle with a York bus company - in a bid to CUT the number of services travelling through their streets.

Residents of Murton Way, in Osbaldwick, have petitioned First demanding a review of the bus service in the village.

They claim up to 1,000 buses a week pound the road outside their houses, causing a strain on the local environment.

Today, First chiefs said it was the first time that someone had asked the company to REDUCE the number of services to a particular area.

Oliver Starzynski is behind the petition, which has been signed by more than 230 people, and has asked First and City of York Council to review the frequency of the service.

He has also demanded the immediate implementation of traffic-calming measures to deter motorists and HGV drivers using the village as a rat-run to escape congestion on Hull Road.

Mr Starzynski said: "Marked by the opening of the B&Q superstore in Hull Road, Osbaldwick has seen a considerable increase in traffic along Murton Way into the centre of Osbaldwick village.

"The current level of HGV and 'normal' traffic is unsustainable for Murton Way and Osbaldwick.

"Traffic-calming measures currently planned ... are insufficient to address this issue and further traffic-calming measures ... are urgently required.

"Of high levels of traffic, the other main contributor is the ten-minute purple line bus service.

"The service does not currently exist for the benefit of the residents but to their detriment, as it creates a consistent background traffic which exacerbates the traffic volume problem.

"The residents strongly suggest that this service ought to pass through an area where it is in demand rather than along a convenient route."

Paul Bell, First operations manager, said: "Along with the city council we are part of the transport plan.

"The No 6 service is growing by the week. The only person who has complained is Mr Starzynski.

"No one else in the city has complained about the frequency of services."

Dave Pearson, City of York Council's principal transport planner, said: "We have seen fairly significant demand for buses in Osbaldwick.

"The bus service is well used and is one of the most popular routes in and out of the city."

Updated: 11:48 Thursday, May 23, 2002