COUNTY and district councillors have been hearing from Arriva bus chief Paul Morgan about company plans to cut services from April 22.

Arriva blames a chronic shortage of drivers, plus traffic congestion for its inability to provide a reliable service. And Mr Morgan says what must be done first is to establish one, and restore people's confidence.

He said the company would not have taken over Wycombe Bus in December unless it had seen a future for buses in the area.

Last week Mr Morgan met district councillors Tony Green, Peter Cartwright, and Clare Martens. On Friday he talked to the joint county and district Wycombe Transport Strategy Panel.

Cllr Green said he could sympathise with the company's view that it was better to provide a reliable but less frequent service than one where the buses didn't arrive.

But he said what worried the three councillors most were the route changes, which meant buses would not go so close to people's homes and that people would have change buses more. This would discourage people from using buses.

The Arriva spokesman said the company hoped that county council subsidies would cover the routes on the areas people were worried about.

On Friday Mr Morgan was told he must publicise the changes so that people knew what they were and why they were needed.

Mr Morgan said the 326 service was originally intended to be the second Quality Bus route in the town, with easy access buses and a more frequent service. But that would have to go on the back burner.

"The route, which should take 80 minutes, takes 90. So from April 22 it will go back to 90 and every 15 minutes, which will be reliable and reduce the driver requirements."

The small buses which couldn't cope with the capacity of the service would be moved and there would be bigger buses.

"We need to restore confidence in the 326," said Mr Morgan.

He said changes were also needed to the first Quality Bus service, the 303/313, and there would be other changes, concentrating on the core network.

Councillors had dire tales to tell him of people waiting half an hour for a 10-minute service, of catching easy access buses to town and then finding they couldn't get one back.

But district and county councillor Maurice Oram, who uses buses all the time, said the people who wanted the roads repaired shouldn't moan when this held up buses.

Both county and district councils want more people to use public transport. The county subsidises some services, while the district council contributes towards half-fare tickets for pensioners.

At present older people pay £8 for an annual bus pass but from April the passes will be free.