A RECENT Hereford Times front page headline exposed council budget-saving proposals which would close our libraries, except Hereford (On borrowed time, Hereford Times, August 6).

Readers will now be aware that a complete cut in subsidy for local buses is also proposed.

Many buses are subsidised by the council in rural areas as they are not commercially viable. Withdrawal of these essential buses would leave many people isolated and unable to access local services and will especially affect young people, retired residents and those many bus users with a disability.

Not everyone can afford a car or is allowed to drive. The council’s consultation exercise also includes cutting funding for community transport schemes.

Community Wheels in Leominster relies on volunteer drivers and so schemes like these would be unable to provide for stranded passengers.

As an example, if these cuts were implemented the only buses retained from Leominster would be the 492 service between Leominster and Hereford on the A49. All services in the town or serving the villages would be lost including the 490 Leominster/Ludlow and 489 Leominster/Wigmore which are my local routes.

Can I appeal to Herefordshire residents, who have identified public transport provision as important in previous council consultations, not to allow this to happen.

NANCY MORGAN Bircher