A new fixed bus route will start Friday in West Maui, the Maui Department of Transportation has announced.

It will be a free service that will bring bus riders into and around the heart of Lahaina.

The new "Lahaina Villager" Route No. 23 will travel through several area neighborhoods in Lahaina, including Lahainaluna Road, and will make a continuous loop through Lahaina town.

Other major stops include the Lahaina Aquatics Center and the Lahaina Civic Center. The Lahaina Villager route will operate from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and will be free of charge.

Also beginning Friday, the Maui Bus will begin expanded bus service for the Upcountry Islander and Haiku Islander routes, which will double in frequency by operating every one-and-a-half hours instead of every three hours.

The Upcountry Islander will begin at 6 a.m. from the Queen Kaahumanu Center with the last departure from the Center at 9 p.m., and the Haiku Islander will begin at 5:30 a.m. from the Queen Kaahumanu Center with the last departure from the Center at 8:30 p.m.

Maui Bus ridership was projected at 1.3 million in the 2008 fiscal year, up from 865,000 riders the previous year. Ridership exceeded the projection for 2008, totaling 1.45 million - nearly 68 percent over last year.

For more information, contact Maui Bus operator Roberts Hawaii at 808-871-4838, or the County of Maui Department of Transportation at 808-270-7511.

Bus schedule information is also available online at www.mauicounty.gov/bus.