MINEOLA — A group of Long Island Bus workers, riders and transportation advocates held a news conference Monday to ask Nassau County not to hand over the reins of the service to private operator Veolia Transportation. The gathering called for Nassau to reopen negotiations with the MTA and add money to the county budget to keep the bus service out of private hands.

Organizers said they were worried that Veolia Transportation would make more service cuts and increase fares for riders when it takes over the bus service in January 2012.