Select Committee supports next round of bus subsidy reductions

Press Release Number: 4703

Members of a West Sussex County Council Select Committee have supported recommendations put forward for a second phase of bus subsidy reductions.

The Strategic Environmental Services Select Committee scrutinised proposals for the second round of reductions at its meeting on Wednesday November 30.

The County Council announced earlier this year that it would be reducing in phases the subsidy it gives to bus companies for non commercial routes by £2 million. This is part of a drive by the County Council to reduce spending by £79 million over three years following significant grant reductions from central government.

The bus subsidy reductions are being introduced in three phases. The first phase was announced in July and is in the process of being implemented.

The Select Committee was looking at the second phase ahead of a decision which is due to be made later this month with changes being implemented in 2012.

The Select Committee supported a list of affected subsidised routes as recommended by a Bus Support Working Group – a cross-party group of councillors which has undertaken detailed research into bus usage.

The Committee also supported a recommendation to extend Crawley and Mid Sussex contracts to the end of August 2012. This will allow remaining services in those areas to be tendered in a revised arrangement to start September 2012.

Committee Vice Chairman Nigel Dennis (Horsham Hurst) proposed a third recommendation (seconded by Heidi Brunsdon, Imberdown) that was supported by the Committee, as follows:

• The Committee believes that improvement to network links between buses and buses with trains should be made a priority in order to maintain provision for some passenger journeys where supported bus services are being withdrawn.

Committee Chairman Duncan Crow (Tilgate & Furnace Green), said: “The committee looked carefully at the recommendations and agreed with the reasoning behind them.”

The final decision on the second phase will be made by the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport after considering the recommendations of the Bus Support Working Group and the Select Committee.

A bus user survey is currently being held regarding the third phase of bus subsidy reductions. The decision and implementation of this phase will take place in 2012/2013.

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