SWINDON Council’s cabinet has agreed a bus charter outlining the services it expects operators to provide, as part of a revised network based on a smaller public subsidy.

On Wednesday, the Conservative administration agreed a revised local bus strategy as part of a bid to create a fully commercial network.

The council and bus operators have been working together to ensure the network is sustainable in the long term to increasing costs and reduced Government support.

Funding for the next financial year is £245,000.

The council is waiting for operators to provide costings for its proposals, with the final network expected to be announced in July and be implemented in mid-October.

A key part of the strategy is the bus charter, which the main bus firms – Thamesdown Transport and Stagecoach – will be expected to support, although it is not compulsory and cannot be enforced.

Under the first requirement on the charter, commercial bus firms will be expected to provide a frequent daytime service to the town centre, Monday to Saturday, from all main urban areas of Swindon. It would include half-hourly services between 9am and 5pm.

Coun Keith Williams, cabinet member for highways, strategic transport and leisure, said the rural services were a second priority to the rest of the network in receiving council subsidies, otherwise the cash would be spread more thinly.

He said: “We have had consultations with local bus operators and they are saying that certain things can be achieved. It’s important to protect the evening network and Sunday network services.”

Last night, the cabinet also authorised the council to use cash normally reserved for council homes to provide funds for tenants hardest hit by the so-called bedroom tax.

The Government has agreed to allow the council to use £420,000 of the money it receives in rent from council tenants for discretionary payments to those who are struggling due to housing benefit cuts.

Labour group leader Coun Jim Grant said: “This money shouldn’t go towards offsetting the needs of the poor – that should be coming from the general fund.”

But council leader Coun David Renard said: “Labour councils are following suit in terms of going down this route. We will just have to see how many applications we get and whether it’s sufficient.”