Following the cut in the 26 bus’ frequency last month to every two hours, county councillor Susan van de Ven asked Stagecoach East if they would consider making it hourly again, and was told no.

There was outrage last month when the new timetable went live, with calls for the ‘lifeline’ service – which links South Cambs villages to Royston and Cambridge – to be made hourly again.

Councillor van de Ven, who has met operator manager Andy Campbell twice with other councillors, said: “The company says that to make the service commercially viable it needs to see 300 extra passengers per day, and they don’t feel confident that this kind of shift will happen.

“For passengers travelling on a free bus pass, the bus company is reimbursed 50 per cent of the fare – down from 75 per cent previously.

“Other options were discussed, including altering the route of the 26 to terminate at Trumpington Park and Ride, and running on an hourly basis.

“Passengers could transfer to the Guided Bus for Addenbrooke’s Hospital or the station, or the Park and Ride bus into the city centre.

“Stagecoach will consider this, and if it thinks it could be a viable option then it will run a questionnaire to gauge support. If that goes ahead, it will be important that people who need bus services to give their feedback, so please watch this space.”

A petition was launched at the start of the year to stop the cuts, click here for more.