Villagers take over community bus service

Villagers in the Yorkshire Dales have been given a new community bus following the success of an initiative to tackle county-wide transport cuts.

The Little White Bus has been running successfully in Hawes for three months and North Yorkshire County Council, which pays for the vehicle, has now handed it over to the community.

Driven by a volunteer team of seven, the bus operates to meet the community’s needs.

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Crucially, it has maintained a Monday-to-Saturday scheduled service between Hawes and Garsdale Station on the Settle-Carlisle railway line.

The Upper Wensleydale Community Partnership got on board earlier this year when the county council indicated that existing services between Hawes and Garsdale were no longer cost effective.

The bus has carried almost 1,000 passengers in the three months since it began operating.

The bus also operates a “demand responsive” service, as well as afternoon summer trips to destinations such as Skipton, Grassington and Kendal.

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The service between Hawes and Kendal is the first for 26 years.

County Councillor John Blackie, who chairs the Upper Wensleydale Community Partnership and also works as a volunteer driver, said: “We are delighted with the support we have received from the county council’s integrated passenger transport team which has made this initiative possible.

“It has brought a whole range of fresh travelling opportunities to people in this deeply rural area and is a wonderful project.”

County Councillor Chris Metcalfe, executive member for public transport added: “Funding for community-based solutions is the way ahead for our rural areas and the solution for Hawes is transferable to other areas of the county where access problems persist.”

The county council must save £69m over the next four years as a consequence of central government cuts.