Bus operators in Suffolk say they are "worried" about the end of government Covid funding later this year.

During the pandemic bus operators across the country were given around £2billion to keep going, but that funding is expected to end in October.

According to the Financial Times, this means that in other parts of the country the bus network could be slashed by a third.

Steve Bryce, boss of Ipswich Buses, said he was worried by the funding cliff edge.

He said the firm was likely to have to review its services on a "route by route" basis when the funding was cut in October.

Mr Bryce said “It is difficult to predict the full effect the withdrawal of the government's BRG (Bus Recovery Grant) will have on our network at this stage.

"Although patronage is continuing to grow slowly, we are still below our pre-pandemic levels and the growth we are seeing is offset by the rising costs such as fuel, insurance, parts and labour”.

“Through trade bodies such as ALBUM and the CPT we continue to lobby central government for continued support for our sector.

"One of the positive legacies of the pandemic is the national bus strategy, which gives us the legal framework to work with our partners in the newly formed Suffolk Enhanced Bus Partnership to shape a sustainable bus network that supports the needs of the communities we serve whilst at the same time attracting new customers to our services”.

Compared to pre-pandemic levels, around 70-80% of fare-paying passengers and 50-60% of concessionary pass users are currently using Suffolk's buses.

At the same time, bus operators have seen a 65% increase in fuel costs since the war in Ukraine started.

Council bosses are hoping passenger numbers will rise in the coming months – though they are not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels until next year.

The council bosses added that while there was currently no indication of any bus operators in Suffolk reducing or cutting their services after October, the council's budget for this year had already been allocated, meaning there was no room to fill funding gaps should the situation change.

Councillor Richard Smith, Suffolk County Council cabinet member for economic development, transport strategy and waste, said: “The government funding to date has enabled us to pay our contracted route operators at pre-Covid levels despite the decrease in passengers on bus services seen nationally and locally since the pandemic began.

“Although there is uncertainty as to whether this funding will continue beyond October, we remain committed to continuing to work with operators across Suffolk to help them navigate the ever-changing landscape, which includes challenges posed by a national driver shortage and increased costs, while also acknowledging that our current bus budget for 2022/23 has been fully accounted for.

“We are hopeful that the government will provide further financial support but, as this isn’t guaranteed, we would urge people to consider using the bus to help passenger numbers return to normal and secure the future of Suffolk’s bus operators. Public transport also brings huge benefits for the environment.”