Bus users are angry that that they weren’t consulted before proposals to cut Connect2 Wiltshire services were drawn up.

A new bus timetable reflecting the cuts is due to come into force in October and a public consultation period, which has now closed, started at the beginning of May.

During a public meeting on Wednesday at Woodborough Social Club many bus users questioned why the proposal only offered cuts and no alternative.

Kate Freeman, of Etchilhampton, is on the Devizes Community Area Partnership’s transport group and was consulted before the plans were published along with Jasper Selwyn from Devizes Passengers.

She said: “I don’t see the same level of involvement with everybody else. I do feel that there is a slight unfairness on the rest of the community.

“The parameters are too constrained and we are being asked to contribute at a very late stage.” Ian White, head of passenger transport for Wiltshire Council, said: “It is very difficult for people to comment on an abstract proposal.

“We thought it was more useful to give a concrete proposal because we want to find out what people specifically found difficult with it.”

Concerns raised included at the meeting included; isolating elderly people and a lack of engagement with young people during the consultation period.

The cuts are part of a bid to slash £1.2 million from Wiltshire Council’s transport budget and would result in the Night Bus which runs between Devizes and Pewsey being axed.

There would be less frequent services on line 3 routes between Pewsey and Milton Lilbourne and line 4 which would no longer serve points north of Avebury.

The Devizes Taxibus service, which provides a daily service between Devizes and Marlborough on weekdays, would be reduced to Thursdays.

The line 1 route between Devizes and Pewsey would no longer serve Bishop Cannings, Horton, Coate, Wedhampton and Urchfont.

Horace Prickett, Transport portfolio holder for Wiltshire Council, said: “The questionnaires and the new timetables have gone out and we’ve had a response which we’re really pleased with which shows that people do care.

“In some other cases we’ve had consultations and we’ve had so few responses it feels like nobody cares.”