A spare £786,000 of unspent public money from the West of England will go towards the combined authority’s reserves rather than being spent on buses.
Despite many bus services in the region facing closure amid a funding crisis, the unspent money from the West of England combined authority’s (Weca) budget last year will be put into savings. Last month the region’s council leaders agreed an emergency deal to save several bus routes.
But now council leaders have slammed the recent decision to pocket last year’s underspend, money which would give “a great deal of reassurance” to the region’s bus network. West of England mayor Dan Norris suggested councils could spend their own reserves on buses.
