BUS users are being urged to stress the importance of their local services by having their say on the future of threatened routes in and around Pershore next week.

Pershore Town Council has called two public meetings on Thursday, December 12, in response to Worcestershire County Council’s announcement that a number of services could be withdrawn or reduced as part of a bid to save £30 million in the next year.

The meetings will be held in the Town Hall at 2pm and 7pm and copies of the county council’s consultation questionnaire will be available to complete.

Councillor Chris Parsons urged people to take part in the consultation as the loss of services could affect the town’s economy as well as leaving people isolated in outlying communities.

He said: “I recognise that the county council has to make savings but I hope those savings won’t be to the detriment of any elderly people who use these bus services on a regular basis.

“I fully sympathise that it is a false economy to run buses with one or two people on them but I hope during the consultation period they do take into account the difficulty some people will have with these proposed cuts to services, especially people on the outskirts of Pershore.”

The routes at risk in the Vale include the 551 Evesham-Pershore- Worcester evening service – the county’s most expensive service, costing taxpayers £8.24 per passenger.

The 382 Worcester-Eckington- Pershore evening service could also be axed, along with the 540 Evesham-Tewkesbury/Cheltenham route, the 551 Evesham town services, and the 564-6 Wychavon Hopper and Pershore town service which was used by 52,480 people over the past year.

John Smith, county council cabinet member for highways and transport and member for the town, says he welcomes ideas for other ways to save cash.

The 10-week consultation ends on Friday, January 17, and any changes will not be implemented until September 2014.