Changes to Council-funded bus services in 2011/12

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As a result of significant reductions in local authority funding, and the Government’s insistence that a high proportion of the savings are achieved in the first year, Wiltshire Council had to make difficult decisions in setting its budget for the 2011/12 financial year. However, due to efficiency and procurement savings of £850,000 and the use of additional income from car parking to help fund bus services, it was possible to limit to £600,000 the amount that had to be found from making changes to bus services. This put us in a much better situation than many of our neighbouring authorities.

The proposed changes were identified according to the Council’s published Guidelines for funding of supported services, which were the subject of consultation as part of the third Local Transport Plan. The intention behind the proposals was to minimise the impact on users as far as is possible, by spreading the changes across the county and withdrawing services or journeys where alternatives are available, or which are relatively poorly used or expensive to run per passenger carried.

Letters were sent to all parish and town councils in March informing them of the proposed changes and giving them the opportunity to comment.

Please note:  although these pages list all the revisions it is currently proposed to make to Council-funded services, it may from time to time be necessary to make other changes for reasons not connected with these proposals, and bus operators may also at any time announce changes to the services that they run without Council funding)

Update - June 2011

Final decisions about the changes to be implemented were taken by the Cabinet member for Transport, after taking into account the responses received. Decisions about changes to some services in the Salisbury area were taken in May 2011, so that the changes could be introduced on 3 July 2011 at the same time as other service changes in the area. Decisions about the proposals in other areas were made during September 2011.

Leaflets explaining the changes to Salisbury services.

• General explanation of the bus changes in Salisbury General explanation of the changes 103kb
• Service 10 timetable (top of Devizes Road) Service 10 timetable (top of Devizes Road) 718kb
• Service 12 and 14 timetable (Stratford Bridge and Harvard Heights) Service 12 and 14 timetable (Stratford Bridge and Harvard Heights) 207kb
• Service 44 timetable (Salisbury to Downton)

Read the report setting out the cabinet member’s decisions.

• Cabinet member decision report (May 2011)
• Cabinet member decision report (September 2011)

The Council will over the next few years be carrying out a strategic review of the bus network as proposed in the Local Transport Plan. This will include defining services as ‘strategic’ or ‘local’, and re-planning the way they are provided to meet needs and demand in the most effective way. As part of the reviews we will also be looking to expand the role of community and voluntary transport where this is the most cost-effective way of providing a service. Town and Parish Councils, and the Area Boards, will be consulted at an early stage of the reviews affecting their area.

Last updated: 24 January 2012