Bus Operator 'shocked' to read news that its Leicestershire services could be axed

A bus operator says the rug is being pulled from under them after Leicestershire County Council proposed cuts to rural bus services.

The council is reviewing the bus services, including four in Harborough, in a bid to reduce its budget deficit by £1 million.

The services have been subsidised by the council because they have not traditionally been used by enough passengers for an operator to make money. But the council has been left with an £88 million hole in its budget and says it needs to make £1m worth of savings on bus services alone.

In total, up to 26 bus routes across Leicestershire are in the firing line and the first could be cut in August. Four Harborough routes, operated by Centrebus, are among them. They include:

- Service 30 between Market Harborough and Southern Estate

-Service 33, the Market Harborough town service

- Service 44 between Fleckney, Market Harborough and Foxton

- Service 58 between Lutterworth and Market Harborough.

Commercial director for Centrebus, David Brookes, said: “We’re supposed to be working with the county council as a member of the Enhanced Partnership Board which was set up to improve bus service provision in the county, so we were shocked to hear this news.

“Most of the services listed are routes that were awarded in August last year on two year contracts, but we’re now being told the rug may be pulled on some services as early as August this year.

“The press statement says taxi services are being looked at on limited days of the week to replace some bus routes, but this isn’t a satisfactory solution, and it will leave some of the most vulnerable people in our communities isolated without access to adequate public transport.”

He added there were ways to make rural routes more cost efficient including driver breaks, later starts or earlier finishes and limited operating days. But the company has not been given any opportunity to discuss solutions with the council.

However the council’s transport and highways Cabinet member Ozzy O’Shea said views from operators on maintaining as many services as possible were welcomed.

He explained: “While our 26 subsidised bus services make up less than 10 per cent of the county’s bus network, their costs range from £40,000 to more than £200,000 a year per service with average passenger subsidies of between £8 and £22 per journey made, at a time when the council is facing huge financial pressures.

“This could mean that low levels of patronage when set against the cost of the subsidy will make some services unsustainable and the situation facing local authorities and bus operators will be even more challenging if Government support funding, which has been in place through the pandemic and ends in March, doesn’t continue. We’re pressing our local MPs to urgently take up this matter.

“However I want to make it absolutely clear that no decisions have been made yet about any service subsidy.”

He further stressed any communities affected by the cuts would not be left without access to essential services.

Mr Brookes added: “We understand budgets are challenging for local authorities and some changes may be needed to help balance the books, but we hope to be able to work closely with the county council to find a way forward in maintaining conventional, reliable and robust bus routes across the county.”

He is urging bus users to attend the public meetings and to lobby councillors and MPs to help save bus routes.

Leicestershire County Council’s cabinet members are set to discuss the proposals on Friday (February 10).