At least nine bus services in Dacorum and Hemel Hempstead's park and ride are in line for the axe because council chiefs intend to pull the plug on funding.
The services, on rural routes or running at quiet times, rely on subsidies because not enough people use them to cover costs.
Dacorum Borough Council was expected to withdraw funding worth almost £175,000 at a cabinet meeting last night as part o
f efforts to cut £3.5million from the budget.
Buses are run in a complex funding arrangement between the borough council and Herts County Council and it is not possible to say at this stage exactly which services will be hit.
However, first in the firing line will be the park and ride scheme in Hemel Hempstead.
The service ferries passengers from the park, where it is free to leave your car, into the town centre and back.
But the service costs £58,000 a year to run and the borough council says it is no longer viable.
Environment chief Bert Chapman told a full meeting of the council last week: "To be quite honest the ridership has been extremely disappointing.
"In my view you give it a try, it has not worked and we will be looking to stop it."
Funding for the park and ride is expected to be cut by the end of the financial year with other services following in 2009/10.
Park and ride schemes are held up as ways of cutting the number of cars in town centres because they encourage motorists to leave vehicles on the outskirts.
In the past a similar scheme has been mooted for the Breakspear Way area of Hemel Hempstead to serve commuters to the industrial estate, but the latest decision must throw this into doubt.
Other services in jeopardy include the 11, 207/208, 30/31, 387, 500, 52, H10, H14, and the H2.
Many more services are jointly funded with other local authorities.
At the meeting the Liberal Democrat opposition questioned the Conservative administration's commitment to services.
It emerged the council had yet to settle a bill from the county council for the cost of subsidising buses last year.
Councillor Nick Hollinghurst said: "Will you review your strategy for support of buses to ensure services around the town are maintained?"
Councillor Chapman said: "We played our part as long as we could. We find ourselves in difficulties.
"We have to go to the statutory things we have to do. We haven't got the money to pass around.
"We are trying to get best value for the people of Dacorum and save it for frontline services."
Do you use Park and ride? What are your views on the cuts? Click here and tell usTo see what others are saying online, CLICK HEREThe full article contains 471 words and appears in Hemel Gazette newspaper.
