Essex County Council proposes bus funding cuts for 21 routes

Withdrawing funding for 21 bus services that are "significantly failing" on value for money has been proposed by Essex County Council.

The local authority must decide which bus routes to support once the current series of contracts expire in 2024.

Conservative cabinet member for highways maintenance and sustainable transport, Lee Scott, said the future of services relied on residents.

The Labour group leader at the council said he hoped no routes would be cut.

The council said it subsidised 161 routes - about 15% of the network - but only 97 of them remained "successful".

It has proposed "redesigning" 43 contracts and suggested stripping funding for the remaining 21.

A report, which was shared at a cabinet meeting at County Hall, Chelmsford, on Tuesday, said journeys costed £10 per person on those "low use" routes, with the full cost of support amounting to £1.1m per year.

The services could be cut completely if the commercial operator decided the route was not profitable.

The contracts expire in July 2024, but the council has committed to keeping the existing services running until July 2026.

A public consultation on the issue is due to be held this summer.

"We recognise bus services are important to many of our communities," said Mr Scott.

"We need not only members' help but our residents' help as well in making sure these bus services go from strength to strength."

Ivan Henderson, leader of the Labour group, said: "I hope the consultation redesign bears fruit, rather than going down the route that we are already seeing with over a thousand buses already lost over the last year across the country.

"I hope we are not going to add to that list."

'Low use' bus routes

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