LISS villagers are leading an ambitious campaign to put do-it-yourself buses on the road after vital public transport to rural areas was axed earlier this year.

The parish council held a meeting last week with neighbouring villagers from Whitehill and Bordon, Greatham, Sel-borne, Hawkley and Steep.

They agreed they must come up with a plan before the end of the year, when Stagecoach could axe the remaining section of the controversial 38 bus service.

One of the alternatives could be a do-it-yourself bus jointly funded by the parish councils and possibly topped up with lottery funding. It would be run by a private transport company for the villagers

And now the parish councils are arming themselves with evidence to prove how vital the public transport is in rural areas.

Liss councillors began their major campaign for better bus services when Stagecoach announced it was cutting the 38 bus route.

Councillors claimed it as the only form of transport for some villagers to reach work, to shop and to get to vital medical appointments.

Following their protest Hampshire County Council announced that part of the service, from Petersfield to Liss Forest, would be saved. But passengers who wanted to travel from Liss to Bordon were left out in the cold.

Now villagers fear that if this remaining part of the service is scrapped later this year rural areas will be completely cut off.

At a meeting of Liss Parish Council this week Nigel Paren told the meeting that representatives from the villages met East Hampshire District CouncilÕs transport development officer, Gwil Williams, on July 6 to come up with a plan of action.

They agreed that a questionnaire should be compiled to go out to villagers throughout the area in order to assess the strength of need for more public transport.

ÒWe hope to get the replies back by the end of August,Ó said Mr Paren. ÒThen the district council will start assessing and reconciling views and produce a report for another meeting of village representatives and transport company AMK on September 21.Ó

He said in addition to the questionnaire it had been suggested that a survey of businesses should be carried out to see to what extent public transport was relied on in the area.

Young people are also to be questioned during the summer holidays to find out what type of bus services they required.

ÒYoungsters use the buses far more in the school holidays,Ó said Mr Paren.

In areas where the 38 bus still exists, villagers are to be questioned about their use of the transport.

ÒThe overriding view of the meeting,Ó Mr Paren told councillors, Òwas that we do need to get something in place as an alternative to the existing Stagecoach service by October.Ó

He added: ÒIn October we are likely to be told we can keep the service for six months or, in the worst case scenario, that Stagecoach are going to withdraw it.Ó

Paddy Payne told the meeting he believed villagers should also take action to try to improve the train service.