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12
Aug 2021
More bus lanes needed to boost Harrogate public transport, says council
More bus lanes and a smart ticketing system are some of the suggestions being put forward by Harrogate Borough Council to boost use of public transport.
The council’s overview and scrutiny commission will meet on Monday to discuss the ideas, which also include more frequent services in rural areas and more electric buses as part of a bid to reduce car travel.
The ideas will form part of a multi-million pound bid for government cash, which is being prepared by North Yorkshire County Council – the area’s public transport authority.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, said he believes bus services in Harrogate are among “the best in the country” but he added there was still room for improvement.
He said:
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Under the government’s new bus strategy, £3 billion is to be made available to make buses across the country cheaper and easier to use.
It is hoped these targets will be met through so-called enhanced partnerships, where councils agree to infrastructure improvements in return for better services from bus companies.
The county council agreed to this in June and is now drawing up proposals through a Bus Service Improvement Plan which will be published by the end of October.
Smart ticketing
In a report to Monday’s meeting, David Stannard, strategic transport planner at Harrogate Borough Council, said the authority would like to see the introduction of a smart ticketing system where passes can be used on different modes of transport.
He said:
Another suggestion was more bus lanes, which Mr Stannard said would “improve journey times and reliability – making buses more attractive than the private car".
There is also strong support for a Harrogate park and ride scheme, which county council officials are currently looking into. There are two potential sites for this: land near Pannal Golf Club and another site near Buttersyke Bar roundabout south of the village.
£20 million bid
It comes as the county council has submitted an expression of interest bid to the government to make all of Harrogate Bus Company’s fleet zero-emissions.
If successful, the £20 million bid will fund 39 new buses and other infrastructure works.
The county council is also currently piloting its on-demand bus service, YorBus, which allows app users to book and track services on-demand in the Ripon, Bedale and Masham areas.
Since its launch in July, 726 journeys have been completed with an average customer rating of 4.9 out of 5.
Cllr Mackenzie said:
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