Why did the County Council withdraw the X bus route?
As 65% of all bus services in West Sussex are operated commercially by bus companies, that is without funding from the County Council, most service withdrawals are decided upon by bus companies themselves, as is permitted under current legislation. Faced with a possible withdrawal by a commercial operator the County Council has to decide whether it has the funds to maintain the service which otherwise may be lost to the public. As a result the County Council currently spends £2.4m each year supporting bus services. Officers regularly assess the usage of these services to ensure that they provide value for money to the Council Tax payer. From time to time financial support for certain services may be withdrawn. This may arise for a number of reasons including declining passenger levels, the introduction of another service which does away with the requirement for continued support, or a significant increase in tender costs for the service which the County Council is unable to meet.
