Call for action to save bus services

SOME bus routes in Barnsley could be axed from as soon as next weekend – prompting local leaders to urge the government to step in.

Operators have announced a scaled-back service schedule from next Sunday – a decision blamed on the government cutting post-pandemic handouts.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “This is a disaster for our communities and we have been warning about this for months.

“With operators just walking away from some contracts – including commercial school bus services and key community routes – I have stepped in and used financial reserves to try and plug the gaps.

“But despite this, in some instances, bus companies still won’t run the routes.”