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05
Feb 2023
Bus route changes 'could leave vulnerable more isolated' in Harrogate
Some of the most vulnerable members of the community could be left isolated if planned changes to bus routes come into effect later this month, according to opponents.
The number 6 on Harlow Hill and the 2a and 2b in Bilton are both being changed by operator The Harrogate Bus Company, part of Transdev, from Sunday, February 19.
Residents on Harlow Hill said they have been told their nearest bus stop will be just a three-minute walk away – but they say that is not true for the many elderly and disabled people who rely on the service.
At the weekly Music and Movement group, which meets at the Green Hut on Harlow Avenue, there is serious concern about the impact of changes.
As the 20 members enjoyed tea and biscuits at the end of the session, volunteer Margaret Willis told the Stray Ferret:
The route changes will see the number 6 no longer serving Harlow Avenue or stops down Otley Road between its junctions with Beckwith Road and Pannal Ash Road.
Instead, it will travel up Otley Road, along Beckwith Road and straight back down Pannal Ash Road to join Otley Road.
The existing route of the 6, left, and the planned new route.
Crucially, the stop immediately outside the Green Hut will no longer be in use. Many of the Music and Movement group's members arrive and depart by bus, and some are unable to reach the bus stops that will be on the new route.
The closest stops are 280m away on Beckwith Road up a slight incline, 500m away on Otley Road, and 450m away on Pannal Ash Road along a route that is partially uphill, which many group members said they could not manage.
Members of the Music and Movement group
One 92-year-old with mobility problems said she timed the supposed three-minute walk to the bus stop and it took her 20 minutes, even without carrying any bags.
Not only could the changes stop people getting to the Green Hut – putting some of its events at risk – but they could also affect people living on Harlow Hill travelling to medical and other appointments.
Volunteer Charlotte South added:
The members of Music and Movement said they would be happy for an hourly bus, instead of half-hourly, if it meant the route was kept as it is now. They also said they would be happy to pay towards their journeys in order to make the service viable.
Bilton buses
In Bilton, the 2A and 2B buses will be combined to make a single service, which some people have said will prevent them from accessing local shops and services on King Edward's Drive.
The current 2A loop allows people living on Dene Park and Woodfield Road to use the bus to visit the chemist, Post Office or doctor's surgery, and catch it back from the opposite side of the road.
When the changes come into effect, they will have to take the bus into town, and catch the next bus back out towards Bilton in order to get to King Edward's Drive.
The current 2A and 2B routes, left, and the proposed single route of the 2 around Bilton and Woodfield.Cllr Paul Haslam, who represents the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division on North Yorkshire County Council, said he has been contacted by a number of residents very concerned about the impact of the changes.
He told the Stray Ferret:
He said he had been given hope by the news that the 24 bus through Nidderdale had been saved by funding from the county council when Transdev said it would have to drastically reduce the service.
The shops on King Edward's Drive
However, for one business owner, the changes are welcome.
Andrew Hart, who runs the Red Box gift shop and Post Office on King Edward's Drive, said:
The Stray Ferret approached Transdev about the concerns over the proposed changes, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
Information published when the route changes were announced last month said the company was prioritising "the busiest stops" and leaving out those used less frequently in order to "speed up journey times".
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