Uneconomical council-funded bus routes to end

Bus routes that a council said were at times costing £16 per person each way will be stopped within weeks.

Bracknell Forest Council said the 598, 299 and 151/151A services are poorly used and that running them is financially and environmentally unsustainable.

It formally agreed to stop them when it passed its budget in February, with the potential saving of £248,000.

Guy Gilbe, the council's cabinet member for planning, transport and countryside, said: "I know the loss of these services will be a blow to the people who use them, but the affected services are generally not well used compared to other routes."

The 598, from Crowthorne station through Little Sandhurst, will run for the last time on 14 April.

The 299 route, which serves parts of Winkfield and Warfield, will run for the last time on 15 April.

The 151/151A, which connects Bracknell and Wokingham through Binfield, will continue until the end of July.

"There are much more cost-effective ways of providing essential transport to people, which do not see the taxpayer pay over the odds," Gilbe added.

"We are now looking at alternative provision for people who use these routes, like community or voluntary transport schemes, which will be better value for money and better for the environment."