Views sought on bus service

The County Council is consulting with the public on proposals in its Bus Service Improvement Plan ahead of the creation of an enhanced partnership, which will see the authority and local bus operators working more closely.

Coun Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Access, said: “Across North Yorkshire, buses play a vital role in supporting rural communities and helping residents to remain independent.

“Efficient bus services also enable and encourage us to leave our cars at home in favour of more sustainable transport, which reduces congestion, improves air quality, and helps us to keep fit.

“Through this consultation, we want to learn what developments are important to you, so that when the Department for Transport announces the funding the county will receive, we can prioritise the most effective measures.

“This consultation is about those countywide changes that can make a real difference. In this instance, we are not focusing of specific routes or services.”

The Bus Service Improvement Plan sets out proposals to transform bus services across the county by making buses more frequent, more reliable, easier to understand and use, better co-ordinated and cheaper.

The plan is dependent on funding from the Department for Transport and is in response to the Government’s National Bus Strategy, which aims to transform bus services with the aim of encouraging more people to choose to travel by bus.

A council spokesman said: “The consultation invites views on how to achieve a more effective bus service.

“For example through improving infrastructure to benefit buses, improving information for customers, having consistent fares and increasing bus services based on customer demand rather than running on set routes at set times.

The online consultation will start on Monday January 10, and run until Monday February 7 2022.

For more information or for the survey in a different format, email [email protected] or call 01609 780780.