A COUNCIL-SUBSIDISED bus service aimed at persuading Thornbury commuters to leave their cars at home is set to be reduced only months after it was introduced.

There were high hopes for the half hourly daytime service from Thornbury to Bristol Parkway railway station and the University of the West of England when the route started in February this year.

But the 312 service has not proved as popular as expected and bus operators have given notice to pull out of their contract with South Gloucestershire Council at the end of October.

The council has been seeking emergency tenders to continue the service but at reduced frequency levels.

The service is now set to operate at hourly intervals during the "inter-peak" period between 9am and 4pm although peak time journeys will remain half hourly.

Council transport planners say the change will also enable the inter-peak service to be extended to Frenchay Hospital and onwards to Downend.

But the planned reduction has come under fire from people who think the service was never given a fair crack of the whip in the first place.

Thornbury South ward councillor Maggie Tyrrell said she was appalled that it was being cut so early.

"It hasn't had time to establish itself although I have to say I don't think it will ever do so without a better publicity campaign," she said.

"I haven't met met anyone yet who was aware of it before I told them about it. If word of mouth is the only way people get to hear about it then it was doomed from the start.

"The only people in Thornbury who had any idea there was a new service running were regular bus users - not really the target audience."

The 309 and 310 Monday and Saturday evening (and daytime Sunday) services from Thornbury to Bristol are also set to be reduced in frequency from hourly to two-hourly.

In a report, council director of planning Peter Jackson said the bus network was revised in February following extensive consultation and contracts were awarded for up to three years to various bus companies.

"South Gloucestershire bus and coach and First Somerset and Avon have given the council notice of termination of some local bus servide contracts effective from the end of October due to these contracts not meeting their operating costs," he said.

"The operators have indicated that if they were to maintain the contracted services in their present form it could costs an additional £208,000 per annum. This would exceed the budget available."

Mr Jackson said an emergency retendering process had been started to ensure the services continued after October 30 when the current contracts woulld be surrendered.

Timetable information is available from South Gloucestershire Council's website at www.southglos.gov.uk