Highway repairs and buses set to be big losers

Millions of pounds are being shaved off road maintenance budgets up and down the region – most notably in North Yorkshire, where the county council is cutting spending by £3m a year.

A report by the council’s highways team admits the cut will have a “huge impact” on county roads. While potholes deemed hazardous will be prioritised for repair, others which might previously have been fixed within a matter of days may now be left for up to 12 weeks.

Other local authorities to slash road maintenance budgets this year include Hull and Kirklees. Only East Riding Council says it has been able to pour extra funds into road repairs for the coming year to fix the problems caused by two severe winters.

Bus services subsidised by councils to make them cheaper for passengers or more viable for bus companies will also suffer.

In North Yorkshire, the county council has announced a 10 per cent cut from its £6m-a-year subsidy to rural bus services. Some services will stop altogether while others face steep fare rises.

But urban areas too will feel the pinch. Leeds City Council has withdrawn funding from its free city centre bus service, threatening the scheme’s long-term future. Transport bosses are currently frantically looking for ways to save the service.

In Bradford, a similar city centre service won a reprieve after a vocal campaign by local protesters.

Announcing his budget last month, Bradford Council leader Ian Greenwood said the service would be maintained for at least another year. However, with further spending reductions to be announced in 2012, he warned: “We may have to look at this again next year.”