PROPOSED cuts to rural bus services in Thurrock will be the subject of a major consultation exercise after councillors raised a number of objections to plans put before them.

As detailed by Thurrock Nub news last week, Thurrock's planning, transport, regeneration overview and scrutiny committee met on Tuesday (5 July) to discuss changes to the 11, 265 and 374 services, which the council has supported with an annual £452,000 subsidy.

At the meeting councillors said they fear the elderly will be hit if subsidised bus services are axed.

The services cover areas such as east and west Tilbury, Stanford-le-Hope, Socketts Heath, West Horndon, Linford and Bulphan, providing links to Thurrock Hospital and a proposed integrated medical centre, Basildon Hospital and Basildon Station.

Speaking at the meeting Tilbury Cllr John Allen said: "I think we need to take into consideration the local plan as well. If we are going to introduce more homes and the borough is going to get increasingly larger as well I should imagine the amount of uptake on the buses could increase in the foreseeable future.

He added: "I can see the concern councillors have got for the elderly and the disabled."

A report put to councillors said in 2020/21 patronage on the services was 30,758, and in 2021/22 it was 65,008 reflecting the impact of the covid pandemic

However, Lee Watson, Labour councillor for West Thurrock and South Stifford, said: "The figures of the patronage of 65,000 isn't quite a true reflection because we were partially through a lockdown that year, so I would have assumed that it would probably have been up. I think we should have more of a detailed figure on what is being used when we are not in lockdown."

Addressing Navtej Tung, strategic transport manager, Cllr Watson added: "Out of the three buses, two stop at Orsett, which is hospitals, and at Basildon hospital. A significant amount of these people are elderly or disabled. What would you change to ensure our elderly across our borough that are in villages that use the hospitals and we've got no form of bus network, what would you do ensure they get to those places?"

The officer said the pandemic was still having an impact on bus services and an extensive consultation would be undertaken before any changes were made to the services.

The services are operated by the bus operator NIBS on a three-year contract, which concluded in March 2022. The council has extended the contract by twelve months.

Councillors endorsed a programme of further consultation.