Cuts undermine confidence in bus use claims councillor

MANY York residents could be put off using public transport for good because of cuts to local bus services, it is feared.

Residents of Acomb ward are being offered the opportunity to quiz First York on recent changes to bus services in Acomb at a meeting this week.

Bus services will be at the top of the agenda when Acomb Ward Committee meets tomorrow evening at Carr Junior School.

York desperately needs to cut congestion as part of the global responsibility to tackle climate change. But Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing feared the public confidence in the bus network was already being undermined.

She said: “People are concerned about the changes to those services connecting Acomb with the city centre, and rightly want to question the bus company about those changes.

“Not only that, but they are concerning that the creeping cutbacks on various services are going to leave them unable to rely on public transport in the future.”

One of the main problems is the change to the No. 10 service which has resulted in customers having to use two different operators.

She added: “Without cross-ticketing, as First participates in elsewhere, the increased cost will just put people off using public transport.

“First needs to give some assurances service cuts will not continue as residents rely on, and want to use, public transport”.

As reported by the Yorkshire Post, First York chose to cut parts of the No 13 route, including those serving Monks Cross Shopping Park at certain times of day, because of concerns over its usage and “ongoing commercial viability”.

This sparked a 169-name petition to York Council calling for the full service to be retained, and also led to a public meeting with councillors and company chiefs.

Large numbers of users of the service in Heworth have also registered their opposition to changes proposed by First York, which have seen a local link to Monks Cross stopped, as well as morning and evening services cut.

One of the big concerns is that the changes will reduce the number of local people shopping at Monk’s Cross, which is now one of York’s biggest employers.