Additional reporting by Ciaran Duggan, Local Democracy Reporter

The decision to axe dozens of bus services across Kent has been called in by opposition councillors as people share their anger over the move.

Kent County Council has agreed to cut 38 subsidised trips across the county in October as the local authority seeks to save £2.2million to combat significant budget pressures.

Bus companies and residents have strongly objected to the cuts and now the local Green party has called in the decision and demanding it is considered by KCC's scrutiny committee next month.

The formal challenge comes three weeks after transport chiefs defended the large scale cuts, which they say were needed to achieve a balanced budget and secure the local authority's financial security.

Green county councillor Rich Lehmann, of Swale East, has warned bus cuts will “put more cars on the road” and cause greater harm to the local environment.

He said: "Cutting public transport and giving people little choice but to use their cars, if they have that option, will increase Kent’s carbon emissions at a point where we need to rapidly reduce them.”

KCC's shadow cabinet member for transport, Cllr Barry Lewis (Lab) said: "I have been in politics for nearly 50 years and I have never seen such anger over the decision to destroy the bus services in Kent."

The council has invested £6.6million to support 127 bus services, which are deemed socially important to the local community but not financially profitable.

Among those angry about the move in Emma Butler, who says the cuts will leave her son, Rory, with no way to get to school.

The 12-year-old Borden Grammar pupil currently makes his way into Sittingbourne via Chalkwell’s 332 bus, one of the routes due to be slashed in October.

Emma said: “I was shocked to hear it was being axed as it is the only school bus in the area.

“Travel Line confirmed that, after the bus cuts, there would be no routes available from our home to Rory’s school nor the nearest school to our address, Westlands School.

“KCC explained that, by sending Rory to the grammar school and not the nearest establishment to my house, they couldn’t help.

“However, if I decided to move Rory to Westlands, my closest school, then the council said they would intervene and pay for a taxi each day to get him to and from school.”

But Emma explained none of this was guaranteed as neither she, nor the council, knew if Westlands even had spaces.

She said she would be forced to drive him from their home in Hazel Street, Stockbury, instead.

Emma added: “I don’t want to move Rory. He has just got settled after his first year. He has friends, sports clubs and is doing well.

“I don’t want to lift him out of that just because the council wants to save some money and cancel his school bus.

“I’ve been a teacher for almost 20 years but these bus cuts are causing me to choose between my job and my child, ultimately I will choose my son.”

Jerry Ralph, from Crown Road, Sittingbourne has also written to KCC willing the authority to stop the cancellation of council-assisted bus routes run in the town by Chalkwell.

He said: “I appreciate that the council has to save money, but the complete axing of all but two of the funded services provided by Chalkwell is bound to cause a lot of distress to elderly and disabled passengers.”

Jerry’s wife suffers from severe asthma and fibromyalgia, a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body.

Due to her conditions she is unable to drive herself or walk a long way.

Jerry continued: “My wife’s condition means that having to walk any distance is almost impossible.

“Those with school-age children will either have to resort to using their cars – adding to the congestion – or move into more urban parts of the area.

“The decision to axe these services will add more private cars to the already-congested road network in the town and increase levels of pollution in the area.”

Kent County Council’s Leader, Roger Gough, said: “We know the impact removing KCC subsidy from some of our Supported Bus services will have on those who currently use it.

“We have put measures in place to make sure the most vulnerable are protected from the impact of these withdrawals, by removing the Kent Karrier services from the list of routes due to have their subsidy removed.

“After these subsidies are removed, we will still be investing £4.5 million in Supported Bus services as a council.

“We will ensure children and young people who are entitled to free travel to and from school have transport in place for the start of the school term in September.

“The council has seen a dramatic rise in the need for its services across all areas of the authority and an increase in the cost of running them. We must prioritise services which we have to legally deliver.”
Cllr David Brazier (Con), who is cabinet member for transport, said: "The council is under no obligation to support unviable bus services. This is subject to the availability of funding."

He also told the transport committee on July 6: "Effectively the £2.2m is no longer in my budget and I cannot spend money I do not have."

"The decision to axe these services will add more private cars to the already-congested road network in the town..."

Five Kent Karrier services, which provide dial a ride services to the elderly and disabled, were also under threat but have since been saved.

The remaining 38 routes set to be cut mainly serve rural communities and isolated areas.