A parliamentary bill could prevent improvement to “over-priced and inadequate” bus services, it has been claimed.

The Epping Forest Green party has joined the campaign to scrap clause 21 from the Bus Services Bill 2016, which is currently going through the House of Lords.

The clause, they say, would prohibit local authorities from setting up their own publicly owned bus companies.

Doing so could offer “multi-million pound savings,” the Greens said.

District party co-ordinator Dave Plummer said: “Bus services in Epping Forest are over-priced and inadequate, with many services stopping in the early evening and competing bus companies working against each other rather than together.

“The services we have are already being cut as money for subsidies runs out.

“One way to address this would be for our council to start their own publicly owned bus company, with a focus on service rather than profit.

“Clause 21 of the Bus Services Bill 2016 would specifically prevent them from doing this.”

On Saturday (July 16), the party collected signatures against the bill in Waltham Abbey.

To sign the petition, visit http://efgp.org.uk/weownitclause21petition.