Bus service set to end after council funding cut

The service runs between Marlborough Square in Coalville and Regent Street in Hinckley

A bus service between two Leicestershire towns could be scrapped after funding was pulled.

Roberts Coaches announced it would halt the 159 between Coalville and Hinckley from 25 February after Leicestershire County Council said it could no longer afford to subsidise the route.

The Conservative-run authority said the service cost £162,260 a year, and with £90m of savings needed by 2026 it had been earmarked for cuts.

Liberal Democrats, the main opposition party on the council, warned the decision would leave some of the most isolated communities bereft of public transport.

'Not viable'

Opposition leader Michael Mullaney told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the 159 was the only bus service linking the two towns, and also provided the only form of public transport for a number of villages in between.

He called for the council and Roberts Coaches to "work together to find a solution to keep this crucial bus service going".

Ozzy O’Shea, cabinet member for highways and transport, said the council was not able to step in and subsidise all commercial services.

“Unfortunately patronage on this service wasn’t sufficient to make it financially viable for the operator,” he said.

“Most villages on the route will have access to other buses services but from February, we will be taking action to support residents who are not close to an alternative service and putting a flexible, bookable, demand responsive transport service in place to make sure people can make important journeys."