Five late Ipswich bus services could be axed

Five late bus services in Ipswich are likely to be cut at the end of the year unless they are used by more people.

Councillors at Ipswich Borough Council’s executive meeting yesterday heard that bus company Ipswich Buses, which is owned by the council, would fund late evening journeys on routes 3E, 5E, 8, 9 and 13 until the end of the year.

The council itself will stop subsidising these services as its budget no longer covers the cost of continuing to support all the routes it currently does, which is expected to increase by 42%.

Labour councillor Phillip Smart, portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said: “I’m very pleased that Ipswich Buses has been able to step in and make this offer.

“I urge residents to use these services so that they are not lost in the future”.

The council voted to continue subsidising the services it believes to be the highest priority: service 4 during Sunday and Bank Holiday daytimes; 12, 15 and 15A during Monday to Saturday evenings, and 14 during Monday to Saturday off-peak daytimes.

It hopes to use money made from on-street parking in Cromwell Square to enable services 2, 5E, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15 and 15A to continue running during evenings on Sundays and bank holidays.

Conservative councillor Ian Fisher said: “Could we ensure the bus company has looked into where buses are needed?

“There are some parts of town where the regularity is every 10 to 12 minutes, and other parts where this isn’t the case.”

In response, Labour councillor and leader of the council David Ellesmere said: “Ipswich Buses are constantly reviewing bus services.

“They look at each route on its own merit with regards to commercial viability.”

Answering a question by Cllr Fisher about whether Ipswich Buses could continue to subsidise the services after the end of the year, Cllr Smart explained that financial support by the government for the local transport sector will end in October.

With this support, Ipswich Buses expects only to break even at the end of the year – so continuing to subsidise would not be financially viable.

While most bus services in Ipswich are operated commercially, those subsidised by the council are not profitable.

The statutory duty and government funding for providing subsidised bus routes belongs to Suffolk County Council.

Due to the withdrawal of some commercial bus routes and in cases where Suffolk County Council did not provide replacement services, Ipswich Borough Council began subsidising services in 2018.

Cllr Fisher voted against the motion to award contracts only to the ‘high priority’ bus services – with all other councillors voting in favour.