BUS service changes in Brighton and Hove go against Government policy, a Tory councillor claimed today.

Some services will be axed under a new timetable which starts on Monday.

A 12 per cent fares increase was introduced on January 9 on some routes run by Brighton and Hove Buses, which was subsidised with £507,000 from the council over the last 12 months.

From Monday, the 10 and 10a services from Lower Bevendean to Palmeira Square, Hove, and Brighton station will be reduced.

The daytime off-peak service will be halved from every ten minutes to every 20 minutes and on route 10 and there will be no buses between Brighton station and Seven Dials between 9am and 5pm.

During morning peak times, the frequency will be reduced from every ten

minutes to every 15 minutes.

Other changes include starting buses to Bevendean from Brighton station on Sundays, which will mean the end of a Sunday service from Seven Dials.

Tory councillor Mark Barnard said in a letter to the council transport planning department: "In basic terms you are saying that Brighton and Hove Buses are implementing a 12 per cent rise in fares while at the same time cutting the services to some areas and reducing the quality of

service to others.

"This is at a time when I thought the Government was trying to get more

people back onto public transport, not drive them from it."

Paul Crowther, Brighton and Hove Council's principal public transport officer, told him: "We share your concern at the fares increase. However, bearing in mind that the last increase was in January, 1998, it amounts to an average annual increase of 7.14 per cent.

"We will be pressing Brighton and Hove Buses to introduce some cheaper 'short-hop' fares since we feel the current minimum 80p fare may act as a deterrent to passengers wishing to make shorter journeys.

"We do not apply a blanket subsidy as such. The council is required to establish which services are socially necessary but not provided commercially.

"Bids by compulsory competitive tendering are invited from operators to run these services under contract to the council."

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