Leics puts bus route reviews on hold

Leicestershire County Council has paused its programme of supported bus route reviews because of the uncertainty created by Covid-19. The review programme was to cover 33 individual contracts and was intended to deliver £400,000 of annual savings. Sixteen reviews have been completed. Announcing a pause to the programme, Ann Carruthers, Leicestershire’s director of environment and transport, said: “It would be inadvisable to review passenger data at this time, as it will not be possible to arrive at reasoned and logical conclusions for future service provision.” She said it may be possible to continue the review process in due course and deliver further savings but “much will depend on market conditions and the public’s attitude towards bus travel in the medium to long-term once social distancing restrictions are eased”.