RESIDENTS have just one more week to make their voices heard on a plan to reduce or remove services on 20 out of 54 bus routes.

The proposals, part of a plan to eliminate all council subsidies to transport by 2020, will mainly impact on evening and weekend services, with some rural areas particularly affected.

The proposals could see evening services withdrawn on the 7, 8, 9, 19, 22, 70A and 72A routes.

Funding could be withdrawn completely for the 24 and 65 routes and the Sunday service withdrawn on the 6, 11A and 19 routes.

A number of routes could be replaced either in full or in part by a new BusLink minibus shuttle service – these include the 12, 21, 23, 24, 25, 46, 46A, 48, 48A, 51, 65, 71 and the 90.

In developing its strategy, the council has set out a number of financial and service principles,

The financial principles include a ‘fair balance between the needs of passengers and the cost to taxpayers’ and removing the need for any bus service subsidies from the taxpayer by 2020.

Reviews of bus routes were based on their ‘value for money’ – in other words the council have looked at the extent to which they have to be subsidised in order to continue being viable.

They have also said that where new housing developments are introduced, they will look to developers to provide a contribution for any new bus service in the area.

Among the service principles that guided the council’s proposals were a prioritisation of journeys to work, school or college, or to the hospital.

They claimed that priority was given to the provision of services for rural areas and areas with a high social need however some rural areas, such as Chiseldon for example, could be particularly impacted by the proposed changes.

An increased focus on punctuality and addressing systemic causes of delay on the network has also been promised.

As part of their proposals the council is also looking at a new ‘BusLink’ service which will consist of minibuses replacing the normal bus services at times of low usage.

They will run on a published timetable and pick up from existing bus stops – passengers will then be taken to one of three ‘transport hubs’ where they can re-join the commercial bus network.

The proposed locations for the hubs would be the Orbital in North Swindon, a location in Old Town, as well as GWH.

While the council have said it would be willing to provide some funding to help get the BusLink service up and running however in the long run it will be the responsibility of a new ‘community transport organisation’ to be made up of community representatives.

It is not clear where ongoing funding would come from.

The council is taking feedback until August 22 – more information about the proposals as well as online surveys can be found at swindon.bus.sgizmo.com/s3/