Council considers scrapping bus routes in Windsor and Maidenhead

Windsor and Maidenhead council is considering scrapping financial support for two bus routes and reviewing the future of seven other services in the borough.

A cabinet meeting took place on Wednesday, September 27 where councillors backed plans which could see bus routes withdrawn or run at a reduced service.

The meeting heard how buses in the borough are experiencing declining passenger numbers.

Inflation and increasing supplier costs has also led to the council considering the value for money of funding its current level of bus services.

Services which could be cut include the W1, operated by White Bus, which runs from Windsor to Dedworth via Clewer Green.

Councillor Helen Price (Clewer and Dedworth East, tBfI), told the meeting that service cuts would have a disproportionate impact on the elderly and those with lower incomes. She also asked cabinet to consider extending reduced fares for passengers.

A dispute has also broken out between Maidenhead MP Theresa May and the Lib Dem-run council over £400,000 worth of funding the council has received from the Department for Transport to support its bus services.

Mrs May said she was delighted the council was receiving central Government funding but Independent councillor Geoff Hill said the council required funding over a longer period of time.

The extra funding boosts the council’s transport funding pot for 2023/24 , but Cllr Hill advised it couldn't be used to help with bus service tenders since the council issued 5-year leases.

He said: “It doesn’t let us put in a new service and we can’t use it to be part of this bid.”

“If they were to give me three hundred grand a year for five years, I would say we could do a lot more.”

A statement from Mrs May in response said: “I’m disappointed at the Councillors’ reaction. I expected them to welcome the extra money from the government.

“The investment can be used in a variety of ways including enhanced bus services or by making tickets cheaper through reduced fares for elderly or young people.

“This is good news for Maidenhead.”