COUNTY bus operators have rejected claims they sell 'tickets to ride to nowhere'.

Martin Perry, who runs the Bromyard Omnibus Company, was responding to county councillors' claims about his and other operators' companies.

He points to the numbers of passengers his company carries each week to prove otherwise.

At Herefordshire Council's environment scrutiny committee recently, Conservative councillors representing rural wards spoke of 'service shortcomings'. Olwyn Barnett (Con/ Mortimer) outlined the issue as 'big buses taking nobody anywhere very quickly'.

From Bromyard, fellow Tory Richard James said service was 'very good if you want to go to Hereford' : "but the parishes I represent will see one or two buses a week".

Afterward, committee chair Pauline Robinson (Con Lyonshall with Titley) told The Hereford Times she lives at Stapleton, near Presteigne, a bus that can take her to Hereford leaves from Kington - but there was no link between the two.

Michael Sargeant offered his example as a counter. Sargeants Brothers operate buses out of Kington and, he says, run a connecting service Councillor Robinson can use three times a day to Hereford.

He says county bus services are 'better now than ever.'.

"True, many journeys are from market towns to Hereford, but they call at villages en route and connect with other buses and trains.

"Buses run between railway stations at Llandrindod Wells and Hereford four times a day calling at all villages on route. Knighton and Presteigne are connected to Hereford via Kington three times a day."

And of the 'large buses with few passengers' councillors cited in their debate?

"This is because we need large buses for peak times and it is not economic to park them up and purchase smaller buses solely for off-peak."

Many journeys use low floor buses, for disabled users. Concessions could cut fares by up to a half - or free from April this year in Powys.

Rural bus services are up for review in the summer. The council says it cannot sustain current levels of supported transport. Tender-led rises on public transport subsidies in rural areas are already far in excess of inflation.

But the authority can offer little overall influence on route demand unless, says Christopher Grover, cabinet councillor for environment, the public is prepared to dictate demand - not perceptions of that demand.

Mr Sargeant will agree perception is a problem - but that of councillors, not the public.

"We are continually working with Herefordshire Council to improve services, and think councillors should not be criticising bus services but supporting them."