Bus strategy 'hollow' without more money, says Harrogate Bus Company boss

Alex Hornby's comments come after council officials warned North Yorkshire would not get “anything near” the £116million it bid for from the scheme which promises to "transform" services but has seen its budget slashed from £3billion to £1.4billion.

Mr Hornby - who is chief executive of Harrogate Bus Company's parent firm Transdev - said the scheme will be "insufficient" to fund all proposed improvements across the country, including those planned for Harrogate.

He said: "We felt the plans for Harrogate were ambitious with new bus priority on the main bus routes to make buses faster and more reliable - things us and our customers want, and what we know will attract more people on board.

"These plans are not new - they have been waiting for funding since before the pandemic - and we hope North Yorkshire County Council will continue to seek funding.

"We have worked solidly with the county council on their enhanced partnership, but it’s a bit hollow without funding for enhancements."

Fuse lit ahead of Harrogate's sensational three-night Valley Gardens Fire and Light Experience

The council will next month enter into a new "enhanced partnership" with bus operators in order for North Yorkshire to get access to funding for its proposed £116million Bus Service Improvement Plan.

The plan asks for £23million to build more bus lanes, £74million for other infrastructure improvements and £14million for support for services.

There are also proposals for a simpler ticketing system and better information on journeys.

However, council officials have warned it was "unlikely" that North Yorkshire would receive all of the £116million it bid for and that there was a possibility it could get no funding at all.

They said any funding received would be prioritised to areas where they believe it is needed the most, including Harrogate which has some of the best bus services in North Yorkshire but still suffers with the worst traffic congestion.

Included in the plans is a park and ride pilot scheme for Harrogate, and officials expressed confidence that enough cash could still come forward for this.

They also said the on-demand bus service, YorBus, which allows app users to book and track journeys in Ripon, Bedale and Masham, would also be high on the priority list for financial support.

Separately, council officials said they were also confident about another bid for £8million of government cash to make all of Harrogate Bus Company's fleet electric.

If successful, Transdev would contribute £11.5million towards the costs of buying 39 zero-emission buses.

A government decision on this bid is expected before the end of the month.

Mr Hornby said even without government funding, Harrogate Bus Company's network has still improved in recent years as he also set out some of the areas that he believes should be prioritised for investment.

He said: "New housing developers will help expand the network and we would encourage colleagues at North Yorkshire County Council to focus on improving the infrastructure and bus shelters, some of which are now well past their best.

"Our bus network in Harrogate has thrived without capital spending from the public sector thanks to our investment in the class-leading fleet on the 36, the first all-electric town network and in new and refreshed low emission buses elsewhere."

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter