A TEST Valley village bus service has been axed due to increasing running costs.

The 36 service from Lockerley to Romsey will be stopping with a local councillor saying each trip was costing the taxpayer £50.

Cllr Nick Adams-King, who represents Romsey Rural on Hampshire County Council, explained the reasons behind the changes.

He said: “It was lack of use and the cost of the subsidy based upon the low passenger numbers. Each trip was costing Hampshire taxpayers almost £50 over and above the fare paid, so it simply wasn’t sustainable.

“There have been a number that have been reduced recently, for similar reasons of lack of use.

“None of the other routes were anywhere near as costly to run, although others still had subsidies which were over £10 per journey.

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“Bus use in Hampshire has actually increased slightly recently, which is good news. There are not very many routes at risk, but the profile of which routes are well used and which are not is changing. Generally it’s those in the urban and suburban areas which have increasing use while those in the rural areas which have decreasing use.

“We’re talking to the local community bus service to provide a stop in Awbridge and also one possibly at Stanbridge Earls, which would be an enhancement to the service the number 36 used to run. Community transport is I think the way forward for the rural areas, and we are looking at a similar solution for the 39 service which is being removed from Wellow and Nomansland. 

“Unless there is further support ultimately we would rely only upon the routes that are economic to run without subsidy, which would mean the main routes and city routes only. We are a long way from that though and I think a mixed picture of community and voluntary services, underpinned by parish, borough and county funding, alongside subsidy for routes that are socially important is the way forward.”

The service will stop at the end of March.

For more details on changes to bus routes, visit: hants.gov.uk/News/20221028PassTrspBudgetProposals.