CUTS to bus services in Swindon have sparked anger among passengers.

The changes - which will leave some areas of the town unserved - were revealed by the Adver on Wednesday and are detailed in an email from a Swindon Borough Council officer to elected councillor.

They will come into force from the weekend of September 4 and 5.

Changes include reduced frequency of buses and the 16 service to Blunsdon and Haydon Wick, Abbey Meads and St Andrews Ridge from the town centre will be stopped entirely.

The email to councillors added: “We are currently working with Swindon’s Bus Company to cover the service 16/24 withdrawal in September with an off-peak service to cover the withdrawal of bus journeys from Blunsdon, Taw Hill, Mazurek Way, Abbey Meads plus St Andrews Ridge’s link to the Orbital Centre.”

Labour councillors are not happy. 

The group’s spokesman on climate change Jane Milner-Barry said: “The Labour group could not be more disappointed in this decision.  What is the point of a £25 million Bus Boulevard if there aren’t the buses to get people where they want to go and when they want to go there? Without an expanded bus service, the Bus Boulevard will be just another white elephant.

“The Conservative government is withdrawing the Bus Recovery Grant, despite the fact that bus passenger numbers are still way below their pre-covid level.  Swindon will be particularly hard hit by this loss of funding, as our bus services had already been pared to the bone.

“Labour group councillors will be seeking an urgent meeting on this with the council and Swindon Bus Company. When able we will update residents.”

Cabinet member for transport Gary Sumner said: “Bus companies will make commercial decisions based on usage and if certain routes are not being utilised then they will be stopped.

“The council, as well as the bus companies, hope this will change in the future as more and more people return to public transport after the pandemic.

“We want to see more people using the buses but we need to have a sustainable service.

“We have already written to central government to ask for support for the services, as per our recent motion at full council. And we are currently working with the companies to provide alternative routes for those impacted by cancellations.”

But many who noted the changes were not impressed.

Lynn Graham wrote

on the Advertiser’s Facebook page: “Why leave Abbey Meads with no buses at all? What about disabled people who live here? We already have no Sunday service - during covid the bus timetable was changed and was never reset to previous. Now we are losing all buses, it’s disgusting.”

Gill Hammond added: “I am 70 years old. The 16 bus is the only one I can use. I will have a 15 min walk to Asda to catch a bus. We only have 2 buses an hour at the moment.”

Andrew Little said: “What a joke, such a good way to encourage people to use the buses, cut more,” while Steven Alan Chamberlain had some advice: “Time to get on your bike.”

But Jack Bradley thought it made sense, saying: “Needed to be done too many buses on the road with no one on.”

Swindon’s Bus Company has not responded to phone calls or messages.