BUS users from the Petersfield area turned out in force this week in a bid to save the services they described as a "vital lifeline." Villagers from Froxfield and Buriton, as well as residents from the outskirts of Petersfield, filled East Hampshire District Council's debating chamber on Tuesday night to urge councillors to support them. And people living on Broadway Park handed in a petition campaigning for the retention of the 95 service which, they claimed, was "a lifeline for many of the residents". The outcry came in the wake of an announcement from Hampshire County Council that local bus subsidy contracts for the Petersfield area were about to be renegotiated with contractors. The county council's passenger transport officer, Tony Smale, told worried bus users on Tuesday night that the subsidised contracts which ran for four years were due for renewal in June next year and decisions about changes to the network would need to be taken by December this year. Launching the consultation process with the district, town and parish councils, Mr Smale told members of EHDC's central area community committee the county council spent £5.7m every year on local bus subsidy contracts. "Costs within the bus industry are rising more steeply than general inflation. These cost increases continue to put the county bus subsidy under pressure and it is unlikely that any new money from this budget will be available for public transport improvements," he said. "When we have received our overall package of quotations we will look around to adjust services to what we can afford." He warned there could be "painful experiences" down the line if it was found that it was necessary to cut services. On Tuesday bus users packed the meeting in a bid to save the 94 and 95 services, which they have been warned could be cut back next year. Both services are currently run by Minerva Accord. The 94 is a Petersfield town circular route taking in the Taro Leisure Centre, and the 95 brings villagers from Buriton and Froxfield to Petersfield. Mr Smale told councillors and bus users: "The county council was able to enhance these services because of the Tesco development in Petersfield. The supermarket was required as part of its developers' contributions to give three-year funding to improve bus services, but this funding comes to an end this year." He said roving surveyors were currently reporting back on the use of the two services and the county council was collecting comments from users. One Broadway Park resident was applauded when he urged district councillors to ask for continued funding from Tesco: "Seeing the amount of profit they make from all of us who use this bus to get to their shop." He added: "This 95 bus service is an absolute godsend as far as the majority of residents are concerned. Many are elderly and some are disabled and could not make the steep slope to the main road." Froxfield Parish Council clerk Donald Compton told the meeting: "I really don't know what villagers would do without the 95 bus service. Froxfield is three and a half miles from Petersfield and people need to go shopping, to doctors and the hospital. Many people do not have cars and cannot afford taxis." Next year, he added, there were plans to introduce government-sponsored free bus passes. "There is no point in having a gold plated free bus pass if you don't have any buses," he warned. Several bus users were concerned that staff at EHDC's Penns Place headquarters had their own bus service, which, they felt, jeopardised the future of the 94 bus, which travelled the same route. Pat Griffin of Herne Farm told the meeting: "We travel on the 94 and quite often the EHDC bus follows us down to Penns Place. The 94 goes to the station in exactly the same way as the EHDC bus and the staff bus doesn't just run in the mornings and evenings, it comes to the town at lunchtime as well. This seems ridiculous when the 94 stops right outside EHDC offices and runs empty at lunch time. If EHDC staff used the 94 instead of their own bus it would give it much more use and help our fight to keep it going." Another bus user said he believed the EHDC bus service was free to the 250 EHDC employees. He pointed out: "No ratepayer is on a free bus service." Brian Dutton said he was concerned that schoolchildren should have their bus services safeguarded, particularly when they needed transport on dark winter evenings. He said he was also worried about disabled bus passengers. "The 94 is supposed to be fitted out for use by disabled passengers. Ninety per cent of the time, the bus that provides this route does not have the right doors to allow disabled people to board," he said. "This really has been flouted by the company running the service." Maggie Johnston from Buriton told the meeting: "I want to reaffirm that this bus service really is a lifeline issue." She said Hampshire County Council could increase the use of buses if the timetable was more integrated with train schedules and school start and end times. "It would make sense for the 95 to bring children in and out of school and for the bus to meet trains going to and returning from London. This might increase their usage," she pointed out. l LOCAL bus services will be on the agenda of the south area community committee meeting at Horndean Technology College on Tuesday. Funding for the number 42 Clanfield to Waterloo bus, which the council says is poorly used, is uncertain. Tony Smale, one of the county council's passenger transport officers, will be at the meeting inviting feedback and opinions from the public. Local residents are welcome to go along and join in the discussions The meeting starts at 6-30pm.