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18
Feb
Is a shuttle bus to Thirsk a viable way to connect Ripon with London?
Labour mayor David Skaith has given a cool response to calls to introduce a shuttle bus between Ripon and Thirsk to connect the city with trains to London.
Businesses in Ripon think the idea could provide a major economic boost for the city at little cost.
Last month Ripon Business Improvement District, which is funded by local firms, said it had been in talks with Mr Skaith, the mayor of York and North Yorkshire, about the idea.
Uredale Community Partnership has also lobbied the mayor on the subject.
Lilla Bathurst, manager of Ripon BID, said:
Ironically, at a time when multi billion Northern Powerhouse Rail prospective long term developments have been grabbing the news headlines, we have an affordable and readily implementable solution just 11 miles and 20 minutes away in Thirsk, which could be delivered with the pull of a lever.
The idea that we and other city stakeholders have put to mayor David Skaith is for a shuttle bus service linked to the 13 daily arrivals of trains from King’s Cross at a station that would be re named Thirsk for Ripon.
David Skaith
But Mr Skaith did not sound optimistic when the Stray Ferret asked if there was any prospect of it happening.
He said:
Our upcoming bus funding means we're under enormous pressure to maintain services as they are with limited scope to support new services.
We'll keep working with communities across our region to make sure their ambitions are reflected in our long-term plan for transport in the region, which helps me make the argument to government and get the funding we need and deserve.
Lilla Bathurst
Transport review
The last trains ran from Ripon 59 years ago.
Ms Bathurst and Mr Skaith discussed the shuttle bus idea at a recent meeting in Harrogate about plans to introduce separate tourist taxes in Harrogate and across all of North Yorkshire.
She said the mayor had indicated then that there was unlikely to be any progress until he completed a transport review, but she pledged to continue to lobby for the move.
Ripon BID has said a shuttle bus linked to the timetable between Thirsk and London could see commuters in Ripon get to the capital in about two-and-a-half hours for as little as £20.70.
Uredale Community Partnership, which brings together public, private and community organisations to address shared priorities across Ripon, discussed the shuttle bus idea during a recent meeting of its transport and connectivity working group as part of a wider debate on the government’s £3 billion funding package for bus services.
It said there is currently a poor bus service between Ripon and Thirsk, and the extra fares from a shuttle service could generate economic growth for both centres.
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