Bus cuts outcry prompts change

The strength of opposition to Herts County Council-proposed bus cuts has succeeded in getting revised options put forward by the highways cabinet panel.
Herts Lib Dem county councillors are opposing the bus cutsHerts Lib Dem county councillors are opposing the bus cuts
Herts Lib Dem county councillors are opposing the bus cuts

Results of the public consultation on the proposals – which would have seen all funding to services that run after 6.30pm daily and any that run on a Sunday withdrawn – were discussed all day at the meeting in County Hall yesterday.

Prior to the meeting, protesters from the campaign group 38 Degrees and the county’s Liberal Democrats demonstrated outside.

The panel discussed options for a further consultation with three proposals for possible changes to 119 subsidised bus services in the county, including withdrawing funding from services after 7.30pm Monday to Saturdays and those on a Sunday – except for routes that directly serve hospitals up to 7.30pm.Another suggestion involves limiting the amount of subsidy per passenger journey.

More than 4,500 people responded to the 12-week consultation, with just 30 people supporting the cuts.

The authority’s cabinet member for highways Terry Douris said: “Thank you to everyone who responded to the consultation, signed petitions and wrote to us.

“Based on the feedback we have received, the revised options we are now proposing for consultation include a later cut-off point for subsidised services, protection where possible for routes that directly serve hospitals and establishing a limit of funding to be made available for supporting local bus services.

“Despite having already made some savings, the funding gap remains an ongoing challenge.

“We will have to make some difficult decisions in the months and years ahead, but we have to prioritise how we spend our money to deliver the services that are most needed and we have to do this within our existing budgets.”

The new recommendations will now go before cabinet on December 15.

If approved, a consultation could launch in January.