COMMUNITY transport groups are appealing to the Government not to let the innovative Wigglybus die from lack of funding.

They have been forced to apply early for a new Rural Bus Challenge grant, less than two years since they received £850,000 from the Department for Transport to continue the rural bus service that 'wiggles' off its set route to pick up and drop off passengers at villages along the way.

The service, set up in 1999 to operate around Devizes, Pewsey Vale and then later on in the Calne area, has been forced to make its early bid because of deficits caused by higher than expected operational costs.

The Calne service is thought to have a shortfall of around £60,000 and the Pewsey Vale service of nearly £30,000.

Also, 2004 sees the last round of Rural Bus Challenge triennial grants and no other funding arrangements have been put in place by the Department of Transport to support the myriad schemes around the country that have been launched to get people to leave their cars at home.

John Brewin, chairman of the Pewsey Vale Transport Advisory Group, the community partner in the Pewsey Vale scheme, said: "For want of three more years of funding, it would be folly for the Government not to support fully an outstanding rural transport scheme which is on the verge of being self-supporting."

Anne Henshaw, chairman of the Wigglybus steering committee in Calne, said: "We are all doing our best to support Government policies and now it's the Government's turn to support us.

"Car reliance in rural areas has increased inexorably over several decades. It is causing hardship for some and far too much traffic."

Kate Freeman, chairman of Kennet Passengers, the support group for bus users in the district, said: "Passengers simply want buses to work and be reliable, but the situation for Wigglybus passengers is very unfair. How on earth can people plan their lives around uncertainty?

"The Government has encouraged councils to expand bus services but has not given them the wherewithal to follow through."

The three groups, which are working closely with Wiltshire County Council, Kennet District Council and North Wiltshire County Council on the scheme, are concerned that, if this bid is not fully supported, the services will be undermined and not reach their full potential.

They are urging supporters to write to the Department for Transport. The address to write to is Mr D Farmer, Head of Branch, Buses and Taxis Division, Department for Transport, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 3DR.

The results of the Rural Bus Challenge bids are likely to be announced at the beginning of February.

The Wigglybus service has become a boon for public transport users in the area, since membership of its travel club means extremely cheap travel, heavily subsidised as it is by central government.

It has also proved itself nationally, winning the Bus in the Countryside award in the Bus Industry Awards in 2000.

But it has encountered several problems during its life, the main one being its call centre.

Originally, the ambulance call centre in Chippenham was handling booking for the bus, but after a number of complaints the contract was transferred to a company in Gloucester.

There were financial problems as well. New Government money in the rural bus sector caused costs to soar as demand outstripped supply and the original operators pulled out after six months.