LOCAL buses serving parts of Huddersfield are to be axed.

Transport chiefs are set to end the MetroLocal services in some parts of the town at the end of the month.

They claim too few passengers uses the services, which link residential areas with local shops and community facilities..

But some other services are to be extended to weekends, because they have proved popular.

MetroLocal provides essential links in the communities they serve – getting people to shops, post offices, supermarkets and community centres on routes not served by regular buses.

All services operate on the popular “hopper” basis with the bus stopping where passengers want, providing it is safe to do so.

The service operates a flat fare of £1 per adult and 50p per child per journey.

The buses, identifiable by their red and white livery, were launched in December 2009 and are run by privately-contracted suppliers on behalf of Metro.

The services are funded jointly by the passenger transport organisation Metro and by Kirklees Council.

They have agreed to continue running some services until July 2012.

A spokesman for the Kirklees Passenger Consultative Committee said: “In order to obtain best value from the services, those which carry very few passengers will be discontinued and the popular services strengthened.

“A review of passenger use has been carried out to identify least and most well-used services.”

The services which are to be axed are:

ML5 - Mount - Lindley - Birchencliffe - Quarmby

ML7 - Moldgreen - Ridgeway -Dalton - Albany Road - Waterloo

ML8 - Newsome - Ashenhurst - Taylor Hill - Lockwood

ML11/12 - Dewsbury - Savile Town - Thornhill - Grange Moor

ML16 Batley - Staincliffe - Carlinghow - Batley.

Services to be extended to run Mondays to Saturdays are:

ML1 - Firthcliffe - Heckmondwike

ML4 - Leeds Road - Deighton- Bradley - Fartown

ML6 - Almondbury - Greenside - Waterloo

ML9 - Dewsbury - Shaw Cross - Earlsheaton

ML10 - Dewsbury - Westborough - Eightlands.

There is no change planned to the ML2 and ML3 routes.