Rethink ordered over threatened bus services (From Gazette & Herald)

Rethink ordered over threatened bus services

THE future of several threatened North Yorkshire rural bus services is to come under the spotlight again after a decision earlier this month to withdraw financial support.

A decision by North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) had meant that while Ryedale's services would be saved, several subsidised services in other parts of the county, would be axed.

But now nine members of the council have called-in the decision and asked the transport overview and scrutiny committee to rethink the issue.

In addition, another controversial decision, to make students pay for school travel is also set to be discussed again by the committee.

Bus services which were set to be withdrawn were Sherburn to Micklefield station; Richmond to Darlington; Masham to Northallerton; Selby-Brayton and Doncaster; Harrogate-Otley and Leeds; and to reduce the level of service on contracts between Whitby and Loftus, Whitby and Scarborough, and for contracts to be modified on services at Sedburgh, Hawes and Thwaite.

It was also decided that fares on gross cost contracts on seasonal services in the Yorkshire Dales and school services at Scarborough should be increased.

Stephen Knight, NYCC's head of committee services, said the issues would be debated by the committee on Monday.

In a report to councillors, Richard Owens, head of integrated passenger transport, said that in the next financial year, starting in April, the authority would be spending £5.12 million to support public transport services - a rise of £320,000 on this year. But increased tender prices meant that the council could not retain all its current network of tendered services.

"We need to reduce are spending by £311,000 to balance projected expenditure," he said.

North Yorkshire is one of only about four county authorities which does not charge students for travel by public transport.

The committee is to discuss the decision to charge post-16 students £8 a week for bus travel.

Coun John Watson, NYCC's executive member for schools, said the proposed new charge will apply to students who live more than three miles from their place of education and are starting a post-16 course in September.

"It will not apply to those already enrolled on such a course," he said. Students with a state of special education needs will also be exempt from the charge.

The authority is also looking into the possibility of exempting young carers from the charge after a plea from the council's young people's champion, Coun Tony Hall.

Coun Watson said: "It is regrettable that we have had to impose any charge at all. Until now we have been one of only four local authorities in the UK to provide free home to school transport for 16 to 18-year-olds, even though it costs us more than £34 a student each week. But now we have had to bow to the inevitable and make a charge."

He said the agreed level of £8 would ultimately save the council £800,000 a year. "Without this income and in the present financial climate, we would have been faced with much more painful reductions in education services."

All students from households with an income of less than £30,000 a year will be eligible for support in meeting transport costs, said Coun Watson.

Updated: 16:44 Wednesday, March 15, 2006