CHANGES to local bus services in Stroud have today been given the green light by the county council’s cabinet.

Faced with tighter budgets this year, the council is trying to protect services which have vital transport links for education and healthcare.

The alterations were made as part of a bid to make £75million savings across council services over the next three years.

It came as a study by the Campaign for Better Transport found that rural bus services are being wiped out in many areas of England and Wales due to cuts in subsidies.

While important services such as the number 54 in Stroud were retained, changes have been made to the number 8/8a and the 36 and 40.

The agreed recommendations came following a public consultation on council-funded public transport which received over 3,200 responses.

The agreed recommendations will look to make changes, maintain or redesign services, based on what alternatives are available, including community transport, with a view to finding savings to help protect crucial council services elsewhere.

The 54, which travels between Stroud and Cirencester is being recommended to maintain its current service, as the commercial operator has decided to run a term time service without public subsidy.

This would mean that smaller villages will still have access to this important service on school days, as the public preference from the consultation was for the service to operate a faster and more direct service with community transport to link villages to the main service.

This will also potentially save the council up to £16,000 per year.

Cabinet also agreed the recommendation to merge services 36 and 40 together from May, as both services cover nearly the same route, to provide people with daily access to GP surgery visits as well as shopping.

Councillor Will Windsor-Clive, cabinet member for fire, planning and infrastructure, said: “We’ve listened to what people in Gloucestershire who use buses like the 36 service in Stroud are saying.

“We’re working really hard to find ways to save money, whilst protecting and improving services – and the changes in Stroud and the Cotswolds are a good example of that.

“A new merged service for the 36 and 40 will allow us to still offer communities a way to access important health appointments and shopping visits.”

Although the overall journey for some passengers will be slightly longer, the merge will mean that the council is able to continue providing two return journeys every day and save up to £5,000 per year.

Cabinet agreed with the recommendation to Stroud service 8/8a, which will merge into a revised Stroud – Bisley service 25, and will serve communities regular access to Stroud hospital with alternate hours for Bisley and Eastcombe.

Although journeys for some may become longer, it will still provide essential travel to the majority of people.

The merge will eliminate duplication for services 8/8a and 25, with the council seeking to provide a regular service that represents an improvement for rural bus users on these routes.

Council-funded buses are used for 10 per cent of all bus journeys in the county’s, with the other 90 per cent made on services operated by bus companies without subsidy.

Cabinet was asked to consider a range of proposals at cabinet, which you can view at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk