Council says bus firm cutting some services in Hereford

Herefordshire Council said it was holding discussions with other operators

A bus operator is withdrawing "a large proportion of its commercial services in Hereford" from 1 January, a council says.

Herefordshire Council said it had asked Yeomans to delay until April, which would provide time to put alternatives in place, but said the firm declined.

It added it would seek to tender some replacement services, which would guarantee school services continuing.

The company said bus passenger numbers were 50% down on 2019.

Discussions had taken place with the firm to request "they delay their withdrawal of services" until April, which would "provide time for the council and local operators to plan and put in place alternatives to ensure continuity of service", the authority said.

The council was talking with other operators regarding "replacing the withdrawn services, or putting in place alternatives on a commercial basis so that some continuity of service might be maintained".

But due to the "very limited timescales involved", it was unclear if any operators would have enough time to set up alternative services, it added.

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The authority said it recently submitted an £18.3m bid to the Department for Transport and hoped to receive more funding to invest in buses from April next year.

The council said it had decided to bring forward plans for improving bus services and was requesting formal proposals from operators for a better service for Hereford.

Depending on proposals and confirmation of money from government, it was hoped new services could start "as soon as April".

The council said in the interim it would seek to tender "some replacement services which will be in place from January".

This would "guarantee the continuation of essential services, including school services, as the council progresses permanent proposals for the city network".

Yeomans Travel said most of the Hereford city bus services were run on a commercial basis without any council subsidy.

The government had given financial support to bus firms during the Covid crisis, but this finished at the end of September, the company added.

It said while it was aware the council was working on a new bus strategy that would involve support for services, the firm was having to act now "to protect the future of the company".

It said the council had already published a tender to operate emergency timetables "on these routes".

"These will now be financially supported," it added.

"If we had been offered this we would have continued operating these services which would have meant no disruption to services."

"If it is not financially viable, why would we continue until then [April]?"