The borough is expected to step in to subsidise bus services to Stoke Park, Chantry, and the north of the town which Ipswich Buses has decided are no longer economically viable.

The company has “de-registered” three commercially operated bus routes – 14/14A, 16 and 22 – which means that these services will stop on July 20 unless another commercial operator takes them over or they are subsidised by a council.

Ipswich Buses is a commercial company owned, but not managed, by the borough.

Phil Smart, Transport Portfolio Holder at the borough, said this does not mean the buses will stop running – the council will discuss them at its executive meeting on June 25.

He said: “I hope that the future of these services will be known before the Executive meeting.

“If necessary, I will propose to the meeting that we use part of the Council’s new £140,000 annual public transport budget to support the services so they will not be lost and that work can be done to make them commercially viable in the medium to long term.”

Already, there are plans to replace Services 22 and 31 (an existing subsidised service that is not operated by Ipswich Buses) in the north east of the town with a new service 39 covering much, but not all, of the same route. Suffolk County Council has determined the new route and timetable for Service 39.

Should unprofitable bus services in the town be subsidised? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail starletters@archant.co.uk