Southend's trail-blazing late-night bus service faces the axe unless it receives a cash injection.
The town's Nite Rider, the first post-midnight bus service, needs new financial support if it is to survive, a crunch meeting of the town's Clubwatch was told.
Sgt Matt Bell, licensing officer at Southend police, said: "One of the big issues is that the young people don't seem to want to travel on the bus. There are mixed views as to why this is.
"Everyone is supportive about the scheme and we have asked the clubs to dig deep but they are concerned that the service is not being used as well as we all expected it would be. We all hoped it would become self-sufficient commercial venture in its own right. That hasn't happened.
"Time is now critical. We need help as soon as possible."
Last September, the much-heralded bus service was launched as a new way of swiftly transporting some of the town's 17,000 revellers home safely.
Published Wednesday January 14, 2004
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