Row as 42 subsidised services face axe

BUS passengers face further cuts to the struggling public transport network, with around 42 subsidised services facing the axe across the region from April.

The service cuts were signed off by the West of England combined authority on January 18, after the region’s political leaders heard how many of the services were crucial in connecting isolated communities and persuading drivers to use public transport instead.

Among the routes facing cuts in South Gloucestershire are the 622 Chipping Sodbury to Cribbs Causeway, the 626 Wotton-under-Edge to Bristol - which is the only current service for Iron Acton - and the 202 Chipping Sodbury to Winterbourne.

Metro Mayor Dan Norris blamed the leaders of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset councils for paying the combined authority too small a transport levy, which was less than inflation, so service cuts had to be made.

He said: "We have a real term cut in supported bus services because the levy has not increased. The levy is much lower than in other parts of the country.

"At the moment we have about £20 a head per year for our transport levy, and that compares to the ones at the top of the combined authorities in other parts of the country, that are £60 a head. "There are huge reserves in some of our council areas that could perhaps be used in a way that deals with exactly these concerns, and that’s a political choice."

Mr Norris repeatedly denied that the WEST link minibus services were replacing the subsidised services.

South Gloucestershire Council leader Toby Savage said many of the council’s reserves are for specific areas and can’t be spent on saving subsidised bus routes - and countered that WECA was wasting money.

He said: "I’ve raised concerns in the past about the West of England’s new offices, and over-reliance on interim staff that are often much more costly."

He said comparing the £20 a head WECA area levy to other regions with trams or metro systems was "comparing apples and pears" and not particularly helpful to the public.

Liberal Democrat group leader Claire Young spoke at the WECA meeting and said some services, such as the 622 and 626, were "the only regular bus for some villages".

Cllr Young (pictured), also raised concerns that replies to the Metro Mayor’s 'Big Choices on Buses' consultation last year did not appear to have been seen by officers working on WEST link, despite it being "the biggest shake-up in bus services in decades".

She added: "We don’t know whether the feedback was shared with the councils to help them decide which services to support in their area."

Meeting report by Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service

A DOG owner has warned other pet lovers not to fall prey to criminals who demand money in return for missing pets.

Andy MacDonald paid £250 to fraudsters who claimed to have his missing border collie Belle, but then they vanished without a trace.

Detectives say his case is among more than 100 reports of similar scams nationwide, dating back over the past two years, where criminals target online lost pet appeals and demand money - despite not having the pets.

Andy’s nightmare started when Belle went missing from his garden in Alveston in December.

He found a break in his fence, which made him think she had been stolen.

Andy’s friend set up posts on Facebook and website LostDog. co.uk appealing for help.

A man then phoned Andy, 57, and said he could leave Belle with a local vet - but unless Andy paid £1,000 to get her back, he would kill her.

Andy says he didn't realise it was a scam, although he says that by the end of the call "I was a bit worried that things were not quite right".

After receiving the bank details from the scammer, Andy transferred £250 to an account.

But after the bank transfer, communication broke down and he heard nothing more back.

Andy contacted Avon and Somerset police, who forwarded