Companies running 26 subsidised bus routes across MK are being offered extended contracts until next April to give the council time to create a completely new system of public transport.
The Conservative opposition has attacked the decision which comes at a time when many people made redundant during the looming covid recession will need to rely on public transport.
And local bus users group MK BUG called for the decision to be deferred until they had more information about the new network... but they were told that there was no time to delay the process of finding companies to run the new set up.
Milton Keynes Council has decided to put its faith in a system called “demand responsive transport” (DRT) where smaller vehicles use technology to plan routes that customers book in advance.
“This hasn’t been easy,” said Cllr Lauren Townsend, the cabinet member for transport, at a meeting on Tuesday.
“There have been a lot of meetings looking at bus services.
“DRT is something we have been looking at for a while and we are taking action quicker.
“I am really excited by the introduction of DRT.”
If bus companies don’t want to run the extended contracts after they officially end on October 24, then DRT could be introduced even sooner on some routes, the delegated decisions meeting heard.
Cllr Townsend (Lab, Bletchley West) said there are 2,000 users of the subsidised routes which cost the council £2.9million.
But she added that the vast majority of bus travellers use commercial services that are not subsidised. They are not affected by the decision.
Cllr Townsend also decided to axe the council’s cheap travel scheme for older people who use the buses before 9.30am.
But she said other concessionary pass holders, including young people, would not be affected.
Cllr Rob Middleton (Lab, Wolverton) said the council was heading for a budget “black hole” of between £5million and £55million and facing the “steepest recession for 300 years.”
The council uses money from parking in 22,000 spaces to subsidise the buses. This has been slashed by £3 million as people started to work from home.
Conservative leader Cllr Alex Walker (Stantonbury) welcomed a Government decision to pay for three quarters of the council’s parking losses and said in view of this the decision is “reckless.”
“Milton Keynes is one of the places most reliant on the furlough – the council should be going all out to protect jobs,” he said.
“These buses are a lifeline to hundreds of workers and this decision is a form of self harm for our local economy.”
But Cllr Townsend said other local councils took decisions to axe subsidised bus routes some time ago, but MK has gone “above and beyond” by protecting unprofitable routes.
“We are not just cutting,” she said. “We are bringing in an alternative – it is exciting and something we could be incredibly proud of.”
