A NEW plan for buses in Herefordshire has been unveiled after a number of routes were axed.

In response to new data that has revealed a 68 per cent fall in bus services in the West Midlands since 2010, the heaviest losses in England, the Green Party has called for immediate action to ‘turn buses around’ in Herefordshire.

A party spokesperson cites the axing of a number of Yeomans Travel routes in Hereford and the end of the twice-hourly Stagecoach service between Ledbury and Gloucester as evidence of these statistics.

“While it’s clear that the £2 single fare cap introduced by the government has helped boost bus use, it is a short-term fix which the government plans to axe at the end of October. And it’s no good having low-cost tickets if bus routes don’t exist," said Green MP candidate for North Herefordshire, Dr Ellie Chowns.

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“As well as introducing a permanent £1 single fare cap and free bus travel for anyone under 22, Greens would increase investment in buses and routes," Dr Chowns said.

"We want to see all communities, urban and rural, served by a bus at least hourly. The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England has calculated that a bus to every village, every hour, across England, seven days a week could be achieved at a cost of around £3bn annually.

“The Green Party would fund investment in buses from the £28bn road building budget. This would include a roll out of electric buses to improve air quality.

“Crucially, buses must run for people, not profit. We would take buses back under public control, where local authorities set routes, frequencies and fares so that services are no longer at the whim of private companies.”