Council left with £5m bill in bus pass switch

A MULTI-MILLION pound blackhole has had to be plugged by a financially-stricken council as it takes on the running of North Yorkshire’s bus passes from next month.

North Yorkshire County Council will oversee the bus pass system for concessionary fares from April 1 after the Government ordered for the responsibility to be passed from borough and district authorities.

The new structure will cost £10m to administer each year, placing an extra financial burden on the county council which is battling to save £69m over the next four years.

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While the Government has provided half of the money, the county council will have to stump up the remaining £5m to run the concessionary bus fare scheme.

The council’s assistant director for integrated passenger transport, Richard Owens, confirmed that the money has had to be found through savings across all departments at County Hall.

He added: “The £5m is a big hole which we are having to fill, especially in the current financial situation.

“But we do not have any choice as we have been told by the Government that the county council must take on the running of the concessionary fares.”

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The re-structuring, which has been planned for the last 12 months, will allow people to apply for a pass at a wider range of venues, including libraries.

The county council has also decided to standardise the system across North Yorkshire, bringing the Craven district in line with the rest of the county.

Passes will be valid from April 1 for bus journeys between the hours of 9am and 6am on weekdays, meaning that they cannot be used during the three-hour morning rush-hour.

They will also be valid at any time at weekends and bank holidays. Mr Owens stressed that the decision was not a cost-cutting measure, but to ensure parity for bus pass users across the county.