'Lifeline' bus routes in Torbay to be suspended

Two bus services which have been described as a 'lifeline' for elderly residents in Torbay, are due to be suspended next month as the operator can no longer afford to keep them going.

The 60 and 65 OUR BUS routes are run by a community project, who say they're losing too much money to maintain the vehicles and employ drivers.

More than 9 in 10 passengers on these routes are over 65, which means they don't pay fares.

This is why a commercial operator cut the services last year saying they weren't financially viable.

The Torbay Community Development Trust stepped in to try and run them on a non-for-profit basis.

It's predicting a £60,000 loss this year, meaning the services will be suspended from the 8th of December

And it's not just the passengers who're set to lose out, the drivers employed by the charity now face losing their jobs.

The Trust hopes the services can be re-instated in the Spring, potentially with smaller vehicles and volunteer drivers, but there's still no guarantee.