Thousands of bus journeys will be cancelled across Hertfordshire as the county council aims to save more than £1million.

Members of the council's cabinet agreed on Monday to plans to cut its passenger transport services budget by £1.4million by 2014.

However, this will mean changes to changes to 20 bus routes across Hertfordshire and the loss of 127,900 passenger journeys each year.

The new routes and timetables are expected to come into force in spring next year.

It was on November 9 that the council's highways panel recommended a string of cuts to its budget, as part of plans to save £188million every year by 2014.

The council subsidises local bus services to plug “gaps” in either times or locations, at a cost of £7.6million in 2010/11.

Due to efficiency savings, the predicted spend this year will be £6.8million.

However, officers want to further reduce the annual budget to £6.2million - if there are no changes to its home to school transport service. But it could drop to £5.2million if those proposed changes to school buses do come into force.

Bus routes directly affecting south-west Hertfordshire include the number 8 Watford to Mount Vernon route, which will see an early evening reduction affecting 1,200 journeys.

The Sunday service for the number 2 Watford to South Oxhey bus will be withdrawn (5,500 journeys), along with the evening service for the W1 Abbots Langley to South Oxhey route (11,700 journeys).

The 501 Watford to Tring route will have its evening service reduced from hourly to every two hours (10,300 journeys), and the R9 Chipperfield to Asda Watford will be reduced from six days to three (5,200 journeys).

Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst (Central Oxhey), a member of the highways panel, said the reductions would only affect the “least well used” services.

He said: “We didn't want to make any reductions but the services reduced are weekend and evening services so we took the least worst option affecting the lowest number of passengers.

“We are unlikely to support any further reductions in service. The buses are still there but they're cutting out the least used services to make savings.

“If we can maintain the bus route with fewer services, it's better than cutting it altogether.”

Councillor Nigel Bell (Vicarage Holywell), who also sits on the panel, said he was “not happy” about the decision but agreed it was the best possible outcome.

“I'm not happy about it but I accept there will be some cuts. There will be others that come up that I won't support. I wouldn't want any other bus services withdrawn by the county.”

Following the panel meeting last month, Councillor Stuart Pile, executive member for highways and transport, said the decision was made with “great reluctance”.

He added: “This will inevitably have an impact on the number of bus services in the county, although we will seek to maintain the best possible bus network for Hertfordshire's residents with the funding available. We also plan to review and consult on a new bus strategy during the next six months, which will give residents the chance to comment on the sort of service we propose to provide."

For a full list of services affected across Hertfordshire, view the Passenger Transpoirt Services report for item 3(c) at www.hertsdirect.org/yrccouncil/civic_calendar/hightranscp/15946149.

How will you be affected? Telephone 01923 216298 or email mpickard@london.newsquest.co.uk.