GLOUCESTERSHIRE Liberal Democrats will be calling for bus services to be protected from adverse change in the new financial year.

At next Wednesday’s Gloucestershire County Council meeting, Cllr Nigel Robbins, representing the Cirencester Beeches, will be seeking assurances from the council with regards to bus services.

Cllr Robbins said: “In five years we’ve seen a total loss of 61 bus services.

“Government spending cuts are having a devastating effect on our local buses. Between 2015/16 and 2016/17 Gloucestershire’s bus services budget was cut by £355K.

“Many of us have seen massive changes with the loss of valuable bus service routes.

“Shockingly out of the 61 subsidised bus services that have been withdrawn, 51 of these have happened in rural areas.

“I represent a rural area and many residents in my own division have contacted me concerned with bus timetable alterations as a result of withdrawn services.

“The county’s bus service plays a vital role to the lives of many residents in different ways.

“We will continue fighting to protect our remaining bus services across the county from any further cuts.”

But Cllr Nigel Moor, cabinet member for infrastructure, said that as part of the coalition government, the Liberal Democrats were also involved in the reduction of the county council’s budget.

He said: “Back then some bus services were being subsidised by over £46 per passenger per journey. That was completely unsustainable – but by merging routes and using more community transport we protected key services.

“The Lib Dems would like people to forget their MPs were part of the budget cuts that led to this, and are simply being misleading in claiming they would have done anything differently.

“I’m also shocked the Lib Dems are surprised most subsidised bus services are in rural areas – urban ones don’t need nearly as much subsidy – I would have thought every councillor ought to be very well aware of this.”