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17
Aug 2021
'Strong support' for more Harrogate bus lanes
Harrogate councillors have signalled their strong support for ideas including more bus lanes and a smart ticketing system to boost use of public transport.
Members of Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny commission will put the ideas to North Yorkshire County Council to support a multi-million pound bid for government cash, which could help pave the way for a greener transport.
The ideas, which also include more electric buses and more frequent services in rural areas, are part of a wider move to reduce car travel.
But after years of cuts to services and declining passenger numbers, there are questions over how willing motorists will be to make the switch to public transport.
Speaking at a meeting on Monday, Cllr Michael Harrison, the Conservative representative for Killinghall and Hampsthwaite, said:
£7m a year on bus passes
North Yorkshire County Council is the area’s public transport authority and subsidises around £1.5 million a year to keep services running.
It also spends about £7 million a year on bus passes for the elderly and disabled, as well as their carers.
Read more:
- More bus lanes needed to boost Harrogate public transport, says council
- Transport leader expects Harrogate’s Beech Grove road closure to be made permanent
The county council is currently drawing up bidding proposals for the government’s new bus strategy, under which £3 billion is to be made available to make buses across the country cheaper and easier to use.
The bid is being prepared through a Bus Service Improvement Plan and so-called enhanced partnerships where the county council will agree to infrastructure improvements in return for better services from bus companies.
Cllr Phil Ireland, cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability at Harrogate Borough Council, said the proposals would play a key part in funding a greener future and highlighted the importance of collaboration between Harrogate’s two bus companies – Transdev and Connexions.
He said:
Park and ride
Under the plans for smart ticketing, passengers would be able to use their tickets on different modes of transport and with different travel companies.
Councillors have also signalled their 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.
It comes as the county council is 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.
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