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22
Mar 2022
Bus strategy ‘hollow’ without more money, says Harrogate Bus Company boss
The boss of Harrogate Bus Company has said the government’s Bus Back Better strategy to make services more affordable and reliable will be “hollow” without more funding.
Alex Hornby’s comments come after council officials warned North Yorkshire would not get “anything near” the £116million it bid for from the scheme, which promises to “transform” services but has seen its budget slashed from £3billion to £1.4billion.
Mr Hornby, who is chief executive of Harrogate Bus Company’s parent firm Transdev Blazefield, said the scheme will be “insufficient” to fund all proposed improvements across the country, including those planned for Harrogate. he said:
The council will next month enter into a new “enhanced partnership” with bus operators in order for North Yorkshire to get access to funding for its proposed £116million Bus Service Improvement Plan.
The plan asks for £23million to build more bus lanes, £74million for other infrastructure improvements and £14million for support for services.
There are also proposals for a simpler ticketing system and better information on journeys.
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However, council officials have warned it was “unlikely” that North Yorkshire would receive all of the £116million it bid for and that there was a possibility it could get no funding at all.
Harrogate congestion
They said any funding received would be prioritised to areas where they believe it is needed the most, including Harrogate, which has some of the best bus services in North Yorkshire but still suffers with the worst traffic congestion.
Included in the plans is a park and ride pilot scheme for Harrogate, and officials expressed confidence that enough cash could still come forward for this.
They also said the on-demand bus service, YorBus, which allows app users to book and track journeys in Ripon, Masham and Bedale would also be high on the priority list for financial support.
Separately, council officials said they were also confident about another bid for £8million of government cash to make all of Harrogate Bus Company’s fleet electric.
If successful, Transdev would contribute £11.5million towards the costs of buying 39 zero-emission buses.
A government decision on this bid is expected before the end of the month.
Mr Hornby said even without government funding, Harrogate Bus Company’s network has still improved in recent years as he also set out some of the areas that he believes should be prioritised for investment:
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