Councillors agreed to hold a “ridiculous” second public consultation into the future of bus services in Hertfordshire.

Hertfordshire County Council's Cabinet has voted to hold a further consultation into the future of bus subsidies in January 2015.

This second consultation will feature three new proposals for the services, which have been revised based on the feedback received during the first consultation earlier this year.

Proposals include withdrawing funding after 7.30pm Monday to Saturdays, withdrawing funding from subsidised services that operate on a Sunday - except for routes that directly serve hospitals up to 7.30pm – or determining how much money is spent on bus services based on usage and value for money.

But many are angry that their voices were not heard in the first consultation, in which many people signed petitions or said on consultation forms that the cuts were not wanted.

Councillor Leon Reefe said: “It’s ridiculous. They didn’t listen to the views in the first consultation, so why will they listen to the second?

“People pay their council tax, even though they don’t like to, for services such as waste disposal, local education, and public transport. It’s the public’s money and it’s not being used the way they want it to be.

“These new proposals will still affect people all across the county, as people will still be finishing work after 7.30pm or going out to see friends or family. Hospital visiting hours finish at 8pm – how will these people get around? I’m already having people call me to ask what they will do if these cuts go ahead, and I have to say I don’t know.”

Over the last four years, the county council has delivered savings of £150m across the council but is looking to save a similar amount over the next four years.

Terry Douris, who is responsible for highways and waste management, said: “Based on the feedback we received during the first consultation, the revised options we are now proposing as part of a new consultation include a later cut off point for subsidised services, protection where possible for routes that directly serve hospitals and establishing a value for money approach when supporting local bus services.

“Despite having already made some savings, the future funding gap remains an ongoing challenge. This consultation will enable us to make informed decisions about how to make the savings needed in the future, while balancing the needs of bus users and all other taxpayers.

“We will have to make some difficult decisions in the months and years ahead, but we have to prioritise how we spend our money to deliver the services that are most needed and we have to do this within our budget.”