POTENTIAL bus cuts have struck a chord with the people of Wiltshire as more than 11,000 responses have been submitted to Wiltshire Council who wanted to hear the views of users.

A consultation on subsidised bus services in the county finished on April 4 and the review was part of wider plans to save the council millions of pounds over the next three years.

Although no savings are planned from the transport budget this year, cuts are being made in every department and portfolio holder for passenger transport Horace Prickett said he was delighted to hear that so many people had their voices heard in this consultation.

He added: “We were told that government advice is that when you run a consultation of this sort, you must carry it out over three months.

“We ticked all these boxes and the response does show that.

“I am extremely pleased and buses are something that have stayed with people because they are relatable and if you live out by the plain then if your bus service is threatened then you won’t be able to go to the shops or doctors so it has sparked interest with every branch of the public.

“Despite popular opinion, we haven’t made our minds up about any cuts and it won’t be for a while yet as there are a lot of forms to process.

“The chances of anything happening before the end of the year are slim and the timetable is deliberately laid out so that people’s opinions are heard.”

A roadshow was held in numerous towns giving people the chance to have their say with the support of Bus Users UK.

Half of the bus mileage in the county is subsidised by £5.1m per year from Wiltshire Council which has been deemed not commercially viable in the current financial climate. The rest of the services in Wiltshire are operated on a commercial basis by various operators.

Philip Whitehead, cabinet member for transport added: "The responses will help shape how our bus services run in the future, to create sustainable public transport for Wiltshire for years to come. We expect to be in a position to present our ideas in the autumn.”

The review will also consider how community transport might be able to assist with public transport alongside continuing work to identify savings in other areas of the council's passenger transport spending.

Later this year a report will go to Wiltshire Council's cabinet members to make a decision.