EXTRA bus services which were due to serve rural parts of South Gloucestershire are in doubt after the Government announced a huge funding cut for the region.

South Gloucestershire Council was expected to start trialing ‘demand-led’ buses in Charfield and Cromhall, Olveston, Frampton Cotterell, Coalpit Heath, Rangeworthy and Engine Common.

However, the authority has been told it has to slash its bus budget by £340,000 slash.

Cllr Brian Allinson, the council’s executive member for transport, said: "When you consider that we are already one of the lowest funded councils of our kind in the country, a last minute funding cut of this enormous scale is deeply unfair."

He added: "This cut calls into question our plans to further improve public transport opportunities in the district, particularly the introduction of new demand-responsive bus services to serve our rural residents.

"I urge residents to join with the council in urging ministers not to go ahead with their plans because, at this stage, I cannot see any way that the council could simply absorb such a massive and sudden funding cut."

The on-demand buses would have served three routes, from Emersons to Pucklechurch, Wick and Siston, from Yate via Chipping Sodbury, Wickwar, Charfield, Thornbury and Tockington to Cribbs Causeway and from Parkway through Winterbourne, Iron Acton to Yate Shopping Centre and Chipping Sodbury stopping at other villages when requested. The cuts in South Gloucestershire are the biggest loss for any authority outside of London. They were announced by the Department of Transport ahead of changes to the distribution of funding for the national concessionary travel scheme, which provides free bus travel for older residents. The scheme was meant to be Government-funded but South Gloucestershire Council already had to inject £1.1million of local money to support the project.

Boyd Valley councillor Sandra Grant said: "Demand-led bus services would have a useful role to play in filling the long-standing public transport gap that has existed in our rural areas for years.

"It is hugely disappointing that just as the council attempts to introduce such innovative new services Government ministers are pulling the funding rug out from underneath them.

"I hope ministers back down from forcing through this damaging funding cut."

A consultation on the budget cuts closes on December 30. For further information visit http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/specialgrantfunding/