COMMUNITY leaders have said reports that essential bus routes in rural parts of Dorset could be cut is 'extremely worrying'.

Councils and bus operators are warning of a 30 per cent reduction in current bus services if emergency government funding support is not extended when it ends in April.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Department of Transport (DfT) has provided operators with a total of £1.7bn including the Bus Recovery Grant.

However, the Government is yet to clarify if this emergency measure is due to be extended in April, leading to concerns that a significant number of routes will no longer remain viable due to continuing low passenger numbers if it does end.

Nick Ireland, Dorset Council councillor for Crossways, said it is 'extremely worrying' and said many buses in rural areas are 'lifelines'.

He said: "It's extremely worrying and I’ll be doing my utmost to defend this lifeline to the many who rely on these services to access work, shops and health providers.

"After fighting to save the no.5 service back in 2018 when First abandoned it, I have kept periodically pinging the current operator and have received no responses that raise concern.

"In essence, the no.5 is subsidised by Dorset Council due to the school transport needs of Thomas Hardye and the loss of the service would require the council to provide alternative transport to those with statutory requirements."

The Local Government Association, ADEPT, Urban Transport Group and Campaign for Better Transport are uniting to call on the Government to urgently extend its Bus Recovery Support Grant, saying that current passenger numbers were still way short of their pre pandemic levels.

A Dorset Council spokesman said: "Bus operators make commercial decisions about bus routes.

"We have submitted a bid for the Government’s Bus Back Better £3 billion fund to revitalise the county’s bus services.

"This bid consists of a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) to coordinate services and future investment through an Enhanced Partnership (EP).

"We have developed the BSIP by working closely with local bus operators, community and business voices, bus passengers, and the voluntary and health transport sectors.

"The fund is heavily oversubscribed and we're waiting to hear whether we have been successful or not. In the meantime we're continuing to work on the EP while we wait for the Government to announce the outcomes of the bid."

A DfT spokesman said: "Although the Bus Recovery Grant ends in April, we’re looking at ensuring services are protected after that as a priority.

"We have provided over £1.7 billion to keep bus services running across the country throughout the pandemic, and are working closely with operators and local transport authorities to protect services after April.

"The Government has committed to investing £3bn into bus services by 2025, including £1.2bn to improve fares, services and infrastructure, and a further £525m for zero emission buses."