North Yorkshire residents encouraged to use their local bus
Passenger numbers aren't yet back to pre-pandemic levels
Residents are being encouraged to take advantage of North Yorkshire’s bus network to help support services at a critical time.
The County Council says the bus network across North Yorkshire has been placed under unprecedented pressure due to a combination of factors as passenger numbers have dwindled.
It says the Covid-19 pandemic had a profound impact on public transport across the country, and many passengers have not returned to public transport as working habits and lifestyles have changed.
Passenger numbers in North Yorkshire have recovered but they are not yet back to pre-pandemic levels, having broadly returned to about 80 per cent.
North Yorkshire County Council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, has said without more passengers returning to their local buses additional funding will be needed to ensure services continue. He encouraged the public to look towards bus travel as their preferred mode of transport otherwise more routes will be lost.
Cllr Les said: “We are in a time of immense pressure for bus services nationally and North Yorkshire is no exception.
“Throughout the pandemic, the Government has provided significant support to commercial companies to keep services running in North Yorkshire that would otherwise have been lost.
“While it is very welcome that this has been extended until March, we know many routes are continuing to struggle and companies tell us it will be impossible for these to continue operating without significant additional funding.
“The stark reality is that the survival of many services across the county are on a knife edge. We know how important public transport is for many residents but we are in a use it or lose it situation.”
When a service is at threat of withdrawal North Yorkshire County Council works with operators to seek a solution, however, it is not always possible. The authority already supports bus services that are not commercially viable at a cost of £1.6m per year.
Earlier this year all local authorities were instructed by the Department for Transport (DfT) to work with bus operators to assess what impact the planned withdrawal of central Government grant funding from October would have on local bus services.
While the Government has now extended grant funding until March 2023, this will only partially offset the combination of higher operating costs and lower fares income. It also does not address the risks after that funding ends.
North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said: “Bus services in North Yorkshire are facing significant pressure due to reduced passenger numbers, increasing costs and staff shortages.
“This is an unprecedented situation with around a third of the network at risk of seeing a reduced level of service or ceasing altogether unless patronage levels improve.
“We have already seen several routes cease, often at short notice, and the unfortunate expectation is that others may follow unless usage improves.
“While the council uses £1.6m each year to support services that are not commercially viable, this cannot meet the scale of the challenge we are now experiencing from routes operating without council subsidy.
“The council has been successful in lobbying Government for extra financial support, but we accept this will not continue in perpetuity. We are working closely with operators to encourage passengers to use services and protect them for our communities.”
The County Council says it continues to work closely with bus operators to maintain and improve North Yorkshire’s public transport through its recent Enhanced Partnership (EP) agreement.
The inaugural EP meeting took place in August. This partnership is designed to encourage cooperation between operators and the council, and provide improvements to facilities and measures that will enhance operating conditions.
For more information, visit North Yorkshire County Council's website.