SHOP workers are being left stranded in Warrington town centre since Sunday evening bus services were axed, a councillor told the borough council.
Coun Peter Carey (pictured) called for a review of the start and finish times for bus services to cater for people who work in the town centre on Sundays.
Two months ago, he asked council leader Ian Marks to consider keeping Sunday services going until 6.30pm to enable shop workers to travel homes by bus.
He now assumed, in the absence of a reply, that the council was not prepared to consider this.
"I would ask what advice you have for the workers affected who are faced with the prospect, after a full day's work, of a long walk home on cold, wet, winter evenings?"
Coun Carey said he accepted there were technical difficulties but he believed there should be a review of start and finish times of Sunday services.
He was also disappointed there had not been wider consultation with bus users.
Even an extra half-hour would be appreciated.
"There are many workers who cannot just leave when the business closes - people who have to perhaps clean up or tidy before they go."
Coun Marks said unfortunately the council had been forced to withdraw financial support from many Sunday evening bus services.
The decision was taken in March as part of the budget setting process, following public consultation last December and January.
All parts of the council had to identify budget savings to take effect over the next three financial years.
Warrington Borough Transport (WBT) had worked hard to redesign the network to deliver the best coverage it could during shopping hours on a Sunday.
But unfortunately, this mean people whose jobs require to finish after 5pm on a Sunday did not have a bus service for their journey home.
For bus services to be financially viable they had to be designed around a single shift operation providing an eight hour day from approximately 9.30am to 5.30pm - the hours of greatest passenger demand as they corresponded with shopping hours.
The only alternative would be run buses from 10.30am to 6.30pm - but this would affect people making their way to work.
Coun Marks said: "With regard to those workers who now do not have a service available I am afraid that I can advise that currently there is no immediate prospect of any adjustments being made to the current timetable.
"Some people may be able to secure lifts home from colleagues or agree an adjusted working pattern with their employer.
"We would of course rather not be in this position but this council, like so many up and down the country, has to make savings.
"We are not in a position to carry on funding all services to full capacity. We have to direct the resources we have to those services which have the most impact on the largest number of people.
"This thinking guides our decision making and in terms of bus services the most effective way to do this is to reduce the subsidy we pay to those services that are not commercially viable.
"The situation with regard to the operation of bus services on a Sunday will be kept under constant review and officers will continue to work closely with Warrington Borough Transport to identify any possible enhancements to Sunday services which may be possible in the future.