Hertfordshire County Council has agreed to cut £1.47million from the bus budget.

Funding will also be axed from contracted services on Sunday, except those which directly serve hospitals.

Hertfordshire County Council has said it will now work with bus operators to try to keep services running, but council papers show that four services in south west Hertfordshire could be facing the axe if a deal is not struck.

Council chiefs have argued the changes would affect just "two per cent" of passenger journeys in the county.

The number 658 from Borehamwood to St Albans will no longer be funded after 7.30pm and a new timetable will be introduced - inclduding withdrawing school journeys.

The service from St Albans to Dunstable will also have its peak services reduced and the 653 from St Albans New Greens Estate to Jersey Farm Estate will run from 8pm on Mondays and Fridays and 7.30pm on Saturdays.

The S1 from the city centre to the Cell Barnes Estate and the S4 from St Albans Station to the Cottonmill Estate will not longer run on Sundays.

One campaigner told the Highways and Waste Management Committee on Friday that 56 per cent of people who responded to the second consultation said they would not be able to go where they wanted to go if spending was axed.

Today the proposals went before the council and the cuts were approved by the Conservative administration, despite opposing groups submitting motions against them.

Of the 1,582 people who responded, 1097 said they were against the proposals to withdraw funding for County Council subsidised services after 7.30pm, with just 197 supporting the plans.

Almost 1,000 also objected to plans to slash the funding for services on Sundays, except those serving hospitals and 226 people supported the plans.

Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst, leader of the Liberal Democrats in Hertfordshire County Council told today's meeting: "Not a single iota of compassion has come from your [the administration's] side.

"You got this wrong. The second consultation showed that 70 per cent were against the cuts proposals.

"Ninety per cent of those that responded were are bus users and 53 per cent are over 55 years old.

"None of that has been recognised. Quite frankly, this is a black day for the county council and a black day for public transport. You are effectively saying you do not care about public transport."

According to council documents, bus operators are concerned about the effects these cuts could have.

Sullivan Buses said: "Disappointed these are additional to proposals to remove funding from evening and Sunday services.

"Very disappointed proposed savings are now double that of previous consultation despite the opposing responses.

"Cuts impact on people going to and from work; many are on low pay and/or young."

More than 22,000 signatures opposing cuts to the council’s bus budget have been received by council chiefs, during both consultations.

After Friday’s meeting, Martin Abrams, from the Campaign for Better Transport, said: "The second public consultation was a forgone conclusion.

"It’s a very dark day for Hertfordshire.

"What this means is, some of the most vulnerable people in Hertfordshire are going to be hit the hardest, people who rely on buses to access public services, older people that rely on them to take them out of isolation, younger people who use them to access education or training."