EVENING and weekend bus services in Southampton are being slashed after council chiefs cut subsidies.

Several routes run by First Hampshire and Dorset, which serve the city centre and Southampton General and Royal South Hants hospitals, will no longer run after 8pm or on Sundays and bank holidays from next month.

However, the company has announced a shake-up of the timetable that will increase services during the day and bring 12 new jobs to the city.

Journeys run under First’s 11a/11c and 12/a/12c routes will be merged into two services, 11 and 12.

From June 12, service 11 will operate between the city centre and Sholing, via Bitterne. Service 12 will operate between the city centre and Sholing, returning via Woolston.

It means six new buses operating between the city centre, Bitterne, Sholing, Shirley and Millbrook throughout the day.

Simon Newport, of First Hampshire and Dorset, said: “The changes reflect our response to our customers’ changing travel patterns.

“In some areas we are increasing the frequency of some services and taking on extra staff to enable us to manage this, while other services are being retimed and connections between bus services and rail services improved.”

However, he added that Southampton City Council was no longer subsidising bus services operating after 8pm and on Sundays and public holidays. Services affected are the 5, 7/7A, 8 and 21.

Mr Newport said: “We do run some journeys in the evening and on Sundays and bank holidays on behalf of the local authority. These journeys traditionally carry fewer people and so often the costs of operating them aren’t covered by the number of passengers who get on.

“The squeeze on council spending has meant that the council has had to make budget cuts, and it has decided to cut the amount it spends on these supported bus services.

“It is deeply regrettable that some evening and weekend journeys are being lost, but there is nothing we can do to change this at this time.”

But the council has defended the move, saying passenger numbers were not high enough to continue funding the service.

A spokesman for the council said: “With a £25m black hole to make up in 2011/12, it is impossible to avoid a reduction in bus subsidies.

“The council only reduces or removes funding for a bus service when passenger numbers are very low. If people are simply not using a bus service the council should not be paying bus companies amounts of money to continue to subsidise them, particularly when there are other services available to residents in those areas.

“However, we understand the impact the loss of a bus service can have on a community and we will continue to work very closely with bus companies in the city to ensure all areas are well served.”

SERVICE CUTS

The following services face cuts due to the reduction in council subsidies.

• Service 5:
City centre – Lordshill – city centre via General Hospital

• Service 7/7A:
City centre – Swaythling – Bassett Green – Aldermoor – General Hospital – Shirley

• Service 8:
Townhill – Midanbury – city centre – Lordshill

• Service 21:
RSH Hospital – city centre – Shirley – Lordswood – Lordshill – Nursling – Upper Shirley – General Hospital

• Log on to firstsouthampton.com for a complete timetable.