Northumberland Council cuts subsidies
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• Following negotiations, Northumberland County Council has decided to withdraw its subsidy to United Automobile Services Ltd on the Seahouses, Chathill and Alnwiek bus service.
The estimated annual operating cost of the service is £6000. The county council pays £4000 and the education committee contributes £1100 to the service. The amount yielded from fares totals £900.
The service has now been put out to tender, and will cater mainly for school children. However, officials hope to negotiate for some adult -passengers and they are also trying to get a Saturday
service. What will happen during school holidays has yet to be decided.
The county council — which pays out £73,000 a year in subsidies — has approved financial help to all other rural services.
But it has cut the Scottish Omnibus subsidy to £5000 and United's other subsidies to £2000 — mainly at the expense of schedules.
Three other routes — all operating in the Border area out of Wooler — are failing to achieve the acceptable minimum income of 50 per cent. However, for urgent social reasons these are to be retained, subject to DoE agreement.