Royston’s MP has urged the public to have their say on a council bus consultation which could see services cut in North Herts.

Hertfordshire County Council is considering withdrawing funding for bus services running after 6.30pm and Sunday services in order to save £700,000, and opened a consultation last month.

MP Sir Oliver Heald is calling on constituents to make their feelings known following widespread criticism of the proposal.

The authority currently funds 119 services – 25 per cent of all Hertfordshire services – at an annual cost of £3.8 million. It has been proposed to cut 39 of these which would disrupt an estimated 200,000 bus user trips.

Services which would be affected include the Richmonds Coaches-operated number 16 Royston town route, which runs from the town centre to Icknield Walk.

Also set for changes is the 331 service, which travels from Royston to Hertford. Both buses could face evening cuts under the proposed changes.

Sir Oliver, MP for North East Herts, said: “I know that many of my constituents rely on using the bus and I encourage them to make their views about the consultation known by responding to it. Those constituents that do not have access to a computer could consider using computers at their local library.”

Once the consultation closes on October 8, the findings will be presented at the county council’s highways and waste panel in November to be discussed by a cross-party group of councillors.

A recommendation will then be made to HCC’s cabinet, which will make the final decision.

If agreed, any changes to services will be introduced from April 2015.

To comment, visit consult.hertsdirect.org/bus-services.

Paper copies of the consultation can be made available by calling 0300 123 4050 or emailing hertsdirect@hertfordshire.gov.uk.