Worcestershire's at-risk bus services saved in new deal

Some fares will rise in order to keep services going, Diamond said

Bus services in parts of Worcestershire that were at risk of being cut are to continue until at least March, the county council says.

In June, passengers were warned they could lose almost all services unless more people started using them.

Operator Diamond said all but one of its routes in Kidderminster and Redditch were losing money.

All current services will now run until at least the end of March 2023 but some fares will rise, Diamond said.

The increases were "not welcome news", Diamond said, but were necessary to continue to provide services.

Bob Baker, managing director, said: "We are hugely grateful for the additional funding that the council has been able to offer as an emergency measure.

Short-term security

"We are committed to providing Worcestershire with the robust bus network it needs to support a growing community, but services need to become viable commercially in the long term and to do this we need a significant growth in passengers travelling by bus."

Cabinet member for highways and transport Mike Rouse said the agreement with the operator provided people with at least some short-term security.

"We've worked closely with bus operators in the past few months to come up with a solution that benefits the residents of Worcestershire.

"I'm delighted to hear that an agreement has now been reached.

"Of course work continues to continuously review, enhance and secure the future of bus services."