Southwark Council has called on Transport for London to reconsider plans to cut seven bus routes – with concerns the cuts will affect the borough’s poorest and most vulnerable.

The council also claims the data used to justify the cancelling of the RV1 bus is invalid.

TfL has proposed to cut bus routes connecting the outskirts of the city with the centre, including cuts to the 45, 48, 53, 171, 172 and 388 bus, and the cancellation of RV1 bus.

But in a statement, the council was concerned the cuts would impact the borough’s poorest and most vulnerable, and claimed the data used to justify the cancellation of the RV1 was invalid.

“TfL’s plans to cut short and remove all of these bus routes will take away a direct and affordable means of getting into central London, for some of Southwark’s least affluent and most vulnerable residents,” the statement began.

In the statement, the council also claimed the numbers TfL used to justify proposals to cancel the RV1 bus “were gathered at a time when the RV1 bus was rerouted and the service was cut by 50 per cent, due to works at London Bridge Station.”

“This means TfL’s data can not provide a true reflection of the bus’s use and value to the community,” the statement explained.

But a TfL boss said the RV1 was one of the most empty bus routes in central London, with an average of eight passengers per bus.

Geoff Hobbs, public transport service planning director, said: “Fewer people are using the route RV1 than ever before, with 64 per cent fewer journeys being made due to a gradual decline since 2009.

“The enhanced 343 service, which would run at a higher frequency and higher capacity, would also add more useful links across Tower Bridge to Aldgate.”

Cabinet member for environment, transport management and air quality Cllr Richard Livingstone criticised the proposals to cut bus services.

He said: “TfL’s cuts mean that many people in the south of London will be booted off their regular bus services at Elephant and Castle and Waterloo, as opposed to completing their journey into central London.

“People with disabilities and parents and carers with prams and pushchairs will be the worst hit, especially in the case of passengers of the RV1 route, which is the only service to cater for people with mobility concerns and is at risk of being cancelled all together,” he said.

But Mr Hobbs said the review was about running the efficiency of the bus service – with all TfL buses fitted with a low floor and a retractable ramp for step-free access.

“Our proposals to reorganise the bus network would modernise bus travel in London by matching capacity with demand while reducing bus-on-bus congestion.

“Our data also shows that demand for these buses has decreased across the routes. These potential changes will reduce congestion, emissions and road danger and will ensure that TfL is providing the right number of buses, in the right place at the right time.”