Vulnerable ‘will be hit hardest’ in cuts to rural bus subsidies

North Yorkshire County Council has begun a consultation on plans to reduce bus subsidies by 25 per cent – the equivalent of £1.1m a year – as part of a range of proposals to balance budgets as it grapples with Government cuts to its budgets.

The authority spends about £4.4m each year subsidising the 20 per cent of bus journeys that are not commercially viable, ensuring rural communities keep a transport lifeline. It says it can no longer afford to do this but has pledged to ensure every effort is made to retain basic services to the closest market towns wherever possible.

But yesterday Coun Mike Cockerill, who represents Filey on Scarborough Council, said he was “appalled” by some of the proposals which will see a range of services affected across the whole of the county.

“I fully realise that times are very hard for councils, particularly being on the borough council, and there have got to be some cutbacks but they have to be realistic cutbacks.”

He said he was concerned a shuttle bus that takes people around the centre of Filey could be lost – although a replacement service may be provided.

“This will affect the tourist trade and also Filey, in particular, has a large elderly population who use the service.”

Nick Harvey, who lives in Hunmanby, near Filey, has been sticking up notices in his village to alert people to the cuts which he fears will leave people isolated who do not have a car.

“I worked out I think about 40 per cent of our buses that go from our village will be affected.

“We lost evening buses around two years ago and now it will be some of the early morning buses that get people to and from work that are going to be cut.

“When you are cutting back you are hitting often the most vulnerable people and often they are the people who do need it.”

He said he was concerned that the poor and the elderly would be hit hard and would find it hard to get to work or to get to medical appointments or even the shops.

“The Scarborough district has the highest level of non car owning families in North Yorkshire,” he added.

Mr Harvey said as a result of cuts two years ago the last buses from Filey and Bridlington to his village leave in the early evening - already leaving people in the community with a limited service.

The proposals, which are currently being consulted on will hit the Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby areas. Services hit include the 159 service which runs between Ripon, Leyburn and Richmond and the 144 route between Bedale and Masham. Both would see the frequency of services hit under the proposals being considered.

Earlier this month the county council launched a consultation, explaining why a reduction is necessary and seeking the public’s views.

“We know that bus services are a lifeline for many people – not everyone has access to a car,” said County Councillor Chris Metcalfe, executive member for passenger transport said at the time.

“However, we have huge financial pressures and we have to reduce our expenditure across the board.”

The consultation runs until November 25. Details are available online at http://www.northyorks.gov.uk/busconsultation or at the county council’s libraries.

The county council is faced with enforcing cuts totalling nearly £160m by 2018/19 - almost a third of the overall revenue budget it had only eight years previously. The latest round of measures to make annual savings of £5.9m were approved last month, although the full extent of the cuts to plug the overall £158m financial blackhole has yet to be finalised.