Key Melton bus routes under threat in new review

Key Melton bus routes are under threat in new review

A review is to be undertaken into key bus services across the Melton area with the possibility that some routes could be amended and some axed.

Leicestershire County Council is looking into the cost-effectiveness of all the bus services it subsidises fully or in part across the county.

It could see a move towards a more ‘demand-responsive’ model where buses are only provided where there is a worthwhile demand from passengers.

A report to go before the council’s cabinet at their meeting next week says services will need to demonstrate better-value ways of meeting high priority journey needs such as food shopping and healthcare, rather than the current provision of costly bus services which have low passenger usage.

Those bus routes under review in the Melton area include the 14 and 15 services, visiting Tamar Road/Queensway and Dieppe Way, respectively.

Others on the list are the 8 Loughborough service, the 55 and 56 to Grantham and the 100 going to Syston.

Also to be reviewed are the 23 to Bottesford and the 25 servicing Stathern.

Councillor Ozzy O'Shea, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “If the recommendation on a particular route is to withdraw services, some residents may still have access to an alternative service.

“Where residents are left without access – over 800 metres – to an alternative service, we’ll look at providing a demand responsive transport service to cater for travel to essential services.

“When we reach out to communities which are affected, we’ll be asking for feedback about times, frequency and community-specific factors.”

While the council insists there won’t be a situation where people are ‘cut off’ from essential services and left with no options, it recognises there will be challenges.

Cabinet members will be updated next week on proposals to re-commence reviews over the next few months of more than 20 routes, including the Melton ones, which are either fully subsidised by the county council or part-subsidised in conjunction with commercial operators.

They will also be asked to approve a closely co-ordinated raft of engagement activity, including public meetings, which will reach out to affected communities.

While more than 90 per cent of bus services are run by the commercial sector, the council needs to reduce spend on its subsidised bus network to help address the significant funding gap it has over the next four years.

Members will also be told next week that tackling an overspend of £1m – resulting from a ‘perfect storm’ of challenges – will be central to the review.

These challenges include significant and continued reduction in bus use, fuel increases and driver shortages and the blow of missing out on government funding towards the county’s Bus Service Improvement Plan.

Where it is decided to withdraw subsidy for an existing service it will cease if the relevant bus operator says it cannot continue to provide it without financial assistance from County Hall.

Recent ‘levelling up’ funding of £6.5million was last month announced for a ‘demand response transport’ service for Melton and Rutland to carry villagers where bus services have been axed or cut back.