A number of bus services in rural mid Essex are under threat.

County councillors are being asked to agree to proposals to axe up to 13 subsidised routes across the county and revise others in an attempt to save £141,000 in a year.

Although the council has a legal responsibility to fund bus services deemed "socially necessary," the planned cutbacks will hit routes likely to affect the fewest passengers.

And this means several council-funded routes in mid Essex could be withdrawn.

Members of the Highways and Transportation Local Transport committee will be told on Thursday the proposed local bus budget for 1999/2000 is £2,280,000.

But if the existing services were to continue it would mean a shortfall of £210,000.

They will be told there is no prospect of the county council being able to continue the current level of local bus services, or to replace any services which are withdrawn, no matter how important they are, unless additional funding is provided.

Services facing the axe include:

The peak hour link from Steeple to Helions Bumpstead

Bus no 19, Steeple Bumpstead to Haverhill on Monday to Friday, where average passenger numbers are 4.2 against the county council's minimum guideline of 10.

Service 31 from Maldon to Burnham, which gives two return journeys on Saturdays

A Tuesday service 94 for shoppers from South Woodham Ferrers to Maldon

Service 312, Wednesday's Braintree town link, from Vauxhall Drive and John English Avenue

Also likely to go are service 261 Blackmore to Brentwood on Mondays to Saturdays, service 501 Ongar to Brentwood Mondays to Saturdays as well as the once-monthly 344 service Fuller Street to Chelmsford.

Contracts that could be revised include service 93 Southminster to Maldon on Mondays to Fridays which operates for school and work purposes and which could be amended subject to new Rural Bus Funding in the Dengie.

Market days journeys to Witham from outlying villages on services 341 from Fuller Street and 342 from Black Notley also face changes.

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