Authority may step in to rescue village's bus services

COUNCIL leaders have responded to calls by more than 500 York bus passengers to stop cuts to rural areas by suggesting the authority could pull strings to maintain services when bus operators have to sign new contracts in autumn next year.

A petition was received by York Council from Coun James Alexander in early 2010 containing 529 signatures called for a fare freeze, an end to First York bus service cuts and a review of outer York bus services to ensure that all villages have access to bus routes.

Richard Wood, an assistant director with the council, has concluded that while efforts are made by the authority to influence services and fares, it can only have an impact over the requested review.

The council, which looks at its levels of socially-necessary bus provision on a regular basis, plans to carry out a further review before the tender round in 2011.

Mr Wood said the council aimed to encourage and sustain commercial bus services with realistic fares on York’s bus network.

It will agree to a review of the network of subsidised bus services provided across York before the re-tendering of services in autumn 2011.

He said: “The vast majority of contracts for York’s tendered bus network expire at the end of August 2011. It is within the context of this tendering round that any changes to the existing bus network would best be considered for the delivery of a sustainable, attractive bus network to be achieved.”

First York currently provides approximately 75 per cent of the operated bus mileage in the authority area. Passengers have called for a freeze in First York bus fares until June 2011 and an end to all First York bus cuts.

Mr Wood said there had been developments since the submission of the petition with a fare increase and cuts to commercially-operated bus routes in July/August.