Kent county councillors challenge £2.2m bus route cuts

Kent County Council plans to axe 38 bus routes in October

Plans to cut dozens of council subsidised bus routes in Kent have been challenged by councillors.

Kent County Council (KCC) plans to axe 38 routes in an attempt to save £2.2m.

Residents and bus companies have objected to the cuts, and Green Party councillors have called for a review of the decision.

KCC's cabinet member for transport, David Brazier, said: "The council is under no obligation to support unviable bus services.

"This is subject to the availability of funding," he said, adding: "Effectively the £2.2m is no longer in my budget and I cannot spend money I do not have."

Green Party councillors have pushed for a last minute review to be conducted by KCC's scrutiny committee in August.

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The formal challenge has been submitted three weeks after KCC transport chiefs defended their proposed large scale cuts, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

They said the cuts, which will take place in October, were required to balance KCC's budget and secure its financial position.

Green county councillor Rich Lehmann warned bus cuts would "put more cars on the road" and cause greater harm to the local environment.

He said: "Cutting public transport and giving people little choice but to use their cars, if they have that option, will increase Kent's carbon emissions at a point where we need to rapidly reduce them."

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