THE reality of cuts to Worcestershire’s bus services has started to hit its users.

With timetables set to change from Sunday, people are realising what cuts to subsidised services will mean to them on a day-to-day basis, as well as the knock-on effect to commercial services.

We previously reported how Worcestershire County Council decided in May to withdraw its subsidy to a number of services – 25 have had all funding cut – to save £2.5 million but only now is the impact hitting home.

John Taylor, of Grasshopper Avenue, St Peter’s, Worcester, was horrifed to discover there would no longer be a bus service from St Peter’s to the city centre on a Sunday, as well as a reduced service in the evenings.

“In this day and age it seems absolutely ridiculous,” he said. “It’s not the busiest of bus services but I am sure something could have been done.”

Gwen Hughes, of Norwich Road, Ronkswood, Worcester, who relies on the 30, 31A, 31B, and 31C services, said: “I’m disgusted. I’m disabled and I need the bus but it’s not just me I’m worried about, it’s other people – pensioners, nurses and people who are visiting the hospital.”

City councillor Pat Agar, who represents Nunnery ward, said people will feel as if they now live in the countryside because First’s changes to routes 33 and 34 will see a reduction from eight buses an hour to four between the bus station and the Farmer’s Boy stop.

Along Tolladine Road, between Hollymount and Ambleside, the 10-minute service will be reduced to one every half-hour.

“People living towards the top of Tolladine hill or much of Warndon will find they have a skeleton service on weekdays,” said Coun Agar.

“We’ve lost three buses an hour. That’s just not do-able with the kind of population we have.”

Paul de Santis, network manager for First, defended the changes to the services which have been put in place to counteract the loss of another route.

“We have tried to pick up services where we can,” he said.