SWINDON and Wiltshire have lost more than a million bus miles over a four-year period due to routes being cut, new analysis shows.

The borough has taken a huge hit on subsidised services, with a 45 per cent decrease since 2013, according to the BBC’s Shared Data Unit.

Overall, miles are down 2.5 per cent once commercial journeys are factored in.

If Swindon’s lost miles were laid out end-to-end, they would stretch 4.3 times around the equator.

Wiltshire has had its network reduced by an even bigger margin, putting the county 17th in a league table ranking local authorities by their losses. Subsidised miles across the county are down by 33.9%, a reduction of 1.35million, with an overall decrease of 15% including commercial journeys.

Swindon was ranked 56th out of the 88 local authorities studied.

The issue came to the fore last week when residents voiced protests over Stagecoach plans to cut the number of services that go through Cirencester districts and Swindon.

Nationally, the number of miles clocked up by buses annually has hit its lowest point in 28 years. Though routes are usually set and run by commercially companies, they can be subsidised by councils where deemed unprofitable but socially necessary.

Chris Todd, local groups manager for the Campaign for Better Transport, said: "We live in a society that is quite prepared to completely abandon certain groups of people and leave them with no options of getting around.

“Buses are not luxuries for people, they are a necessity.

“People need them to get to the dentists, to the shops, they need to have some sort of social interaction.

"Some of the people contacting us come forward with heart-rending stories.

“The people making these decisions often have no idea the impact these things have on normal people living normal lives - particularly those in rural areas."

Cllr Martin Tett, the Local Government Association’s transport spokesman, flagged up the difficult choice for councils in funding bus services.

He said: “It is hugely concerning to see such a decrease in bus journeys.

“Buses provide a vital service for our communities and a lifeline for our most vulnerable residents to go shopping, pick up medication, attend doctor appointments or socialise with friends.

“Councils know how important buses are for their residents and local economies and are desperate to protect them.

“It’s nearly impossible for councils to keep providing subsidised travel while having to find billions of pounds worth of savings and protect other vital services like caring for the elderly, protecting children, filling potholes and collecting bins.

“Faced with significant funding pressures, many councils across the country are being forced into taking difficult decisions to scale back services and review subsidised routes.”

Stagecoach, which provides services in Swindon and Wiltshire, responded with figures showing it has expanded and invested in its network.

Rupert Cox, Managing Director for Stagecoach West said: "These countywide figures reflect a number of factors - much of the network which is funded by local authorities has been reduced due to budget cuts within local council areas.

“Despite the impact of changes in the economy and worsening traffic congestion Stagecoach has actually increased the amount of bus mileage we operate by almost 20% in the past 4 years.

"Our services in Swindon and Wiltshire carried more than 6 million people in the past year and offer great value fares from just £2 per day. We have also invested £4.3 million in 20 new vehicles for Swindon and Wiltshire in the past 4 years plus a brand new £3.5 million bus depot.

“Buses are the solution to improving air quality and an effective local bus network can deliver a significant boost to the local economy.

“We urgently need local politicians to tackle the issue of congestion and look forward to working with them to take positive steps towards encouraging more people on to buses in the future."

Andrew Wickham, managing director of Thamesdown, Swindon’s Bus Company, said: "We understand the financial pressures that local authorities are under, and are continuing to work with both councils in Wiltshire and Swindon to minimise the impact of reduced subsidy on bus services.

"Around 90 percent of our services across the region are run at our own cost and we firmly believe the bus is the perfect answer to improving air quality and reducing congestion. In a bid to encourage more people to leave their cars at home, we are committed to making travelling by bus as appealing as possible - by investing in new, greener, vehicles and advanced technology to provide comfort and convenience for our customers.”

Coun Mary Martin, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for communities and place, said: “Around 95 per cent of the bus routes in Swindon are run by our two commercial operators, who have invested heavily in services over the last year.

“The council still contributes funding for around 15 services, which comes from central Government through Bus Services Operators Grant and Section 106 developer contributions. These services maintain services to parts of the town on Sundays or during the evenings to ensure residents are not isolated and can still visit the shops or go to work. In addition a number of these bus services provide links with rural areas of the Borough to the town.”

A spokeswoman for the Department for Transport said: “Buses connect people, homes and businesses, and that’s why we have given councils extra powers to work in partnership with bus companies to improve the service passengers expect and deserve.

“Long-term social and economic factors are affecting levels of bus usage. But to encourage it and improve journeys for passengers, we provide around £250 million to support bus services every year. This benefits people up and down the country, and supports the nearly 10 million older and disabled people in England who get free off-peak bus travel.”