A COUNCILLOR has slammed First Bus for axing a service that he says serves nearly 1,000 residents.

County councillor for St. John's, Richard Udall, says the decision to stop the 31 bus route is 'sneaky, nasty and underhand.'

"First Bus have, without consultation, permanently closed the 31 Bus Route, which serviced Laugherne Road and Comer Road, serving nearly 1,000 residents," he said.

"They claim to have removed the service during the pandemic because the smaller busses needed to travel over the Comer Road bridge, would not allow social distancing.

"They have now decommissioned these smaller busses and have removed the service.

"This is a sneaky, nasty and a very underhand move.

"I know they are a commercial business, but removing a service in such a way is not in their long term interest or in the interests of the bus travelling public.

"It does not promote public transport and it upsets and angers a lot of St John's residents.

"LMS have provided a replacement service, but it is just two busses a day compared to a much more regular service, provided by the 31 bus, which was every twenty minutes throughout the day."

Worcester News: BUSES: St John’s County Councillor Richard Udall is trying to re-connect a 'lost bus service'

A spokesman for First Bus said it is 'monitoring demand' for the service.

Nigel Eggleton, managing director at First Worcester said: “Whilst we work through the pandemic our bus network has and continues to be financially supported by the Department for Transport and whilst this provision is in place we need to run services as efficiently as possible meeting the demands of people travelling on our buses.

"We are continuing to work with Worcestershire County Council on the public transport recovery plan and whilst bus services are still around two-thirds of where we were pre covid, we will continue to monitor demand and run services where they are required.”