THE owners of the Victoria Centre and Broadmarsh may be asked to help fund some city bus services.
The alternative funding plans were revealed after residents raised concerns over a lack of off-peak bus services to the City Hospital.
Councillors on an area committee for Clifton and the Bridge Ward, which represents The Meadows and the area around Trent Bridge, have been seeking better off-peak public transport services to assist elderly and disabled residents since last year.
Currently a daytime service, the LocalLink 53, provided by Nottingham City Transport from Clifton to Arnold via the QMC and City Hospital, provides a peak but not off-peak service.
Nottingham City Council's executive board has said the 53 service is expensive to run and that it is one of very few services that Nottingham City Transport runs from district to non-city centre locations across Notts.
At evenings and weekends, residents travelling by bus to the hospital have to take a Navy Line service from Clifton to the city centre, alighting to a Yellow or Brown service.
These bus stops are located on Milton Street.
To do this requires departing at Beastmarket Hill and walking to Milton Street or departing at Carrington Street, then taking a Green Loop city centre bus to the Victoria Centre in nearby Milton Street.
Centrelink, run by Trent Barton, provides a similar service to Green Loop.
The city council has said government cuts mean it cannot at this time provide subsidies to either Nottingham City Transport or other companies to help increase the amount of buses transporting people on the Green Loop or Centrelink services.
However, it has said it is seeking funding from shopping centre owners intu to lay on more off-peak Centrelink services between the Victoria Centre and Broadmarsh.
This would make it easier for Clifton residents to travel between bus stops during off-peak hours. It would also offer more services for shoppers to get around the city.
A city council spokesman said: "The current government cuts to Nottingham mean that the council does not have any additional funding to put to Link buses and, therefore, is unable to extend the hours of Centrelink operation in the short term.
"Funding is currently being sought from intu to improve the Centrelink service at off-peak times as part of the shopping centre development proposals."
Ian Malcolm, councillor for Clifton South Ward, said he welcomed the possibility of intu helping out but that more needed to be done to improve bus connectivity for residents.
He said: "It will help but we still need to bring bus services closer together."
Councillor Malcolm said that he and his committee will continue to work with the city council for improvements in the future.
Passenger Carole Dawkins, 53, of Barbury Drive, Clifton, who has to visit the city hospital regularly, said: "Walking too much hurts me. There should be more funding for these services. Perhaps they can get some kind of sponsorship."
The Post contacted intu who said they were yet to receive a formal approach from the council.