A REINSTATED bus service between Malvern and Worcestershire Royal Hospital is getting the support it needs to keep it going.

But passengers are being warned they will have to keep using the number 44 bus route at the rate they are currently otherwise it will be cut from the timetable once again.

We previously reported in your Worcester News how people living in Malvern had to change buses at the city’s CrownGate bus station to reach the hospital because buses terminated at County Hall from the beginning of September.

Worcestershire County Council said the cut was a commercial decision by private operator First due to the small number of people using the service.

But following a huge public outcry and scores of letters to your Worcester News, opposition Liberal Democrats launched a campaign for the Conservative-run council to reintroduce a previous subsidy which had provided the link to the hospital.

At Wednesday’s environment and economy panel meeting the cabinet member for transport, Councillor Derek Prodger, said whether the service stayed or not was up to the people of Worcestershire and if they used it enough during the six month trial period, which was costing £36,000.

“The trouble is we have got to make enough money to break even,” he said.

“We don’t want to make a fortune but we do need to subsidise it. We haven’t got an endless pot of money to provide the service.

“I have used the 44 service two times myself. When I got off the bus on those occasions there were enough passengers going to the hospital to make me feel encouraged. But they need to sustain that. I haven’t got the funds to give you that forever.”

Andy Baker, the county council’s integrated transport manager, said that “robust” monthly data from First showing the number of passengers using the service would be used to determine whether the number 44 survives beyond the trial period.