Harrogate Bus Company introduces two-for-one travel on Fridays

The Harrogate Bus Company is introducing a two-for-one travel deal on Fridays as part of a campaign to persuade motorists to cut emissions.

The scheme, which begins in two days, enables two people to travel using a Harrogate one-day ticket costing £5.70

The bus company said today it was supporting the charity Zero Carbon Harrogate’s car-free Friday initiative, which relaunches on Friday this week.

Zero Carbon Harrogate is inviting motorists to sign up online to a pledge to leave their cars at home at least one day a week.

Paul Turner, commercial director of the Harrogate Bus Company, which plans to convert its entire Harrogate fleet to zero-emission electric power next year, said:

“As well as the benefit to our local environment, choosing the bus makes sense in lots more ways – it’s a lot less stressful than driving, and with a full day’s travel anywhere for two people travelling together within Harrogate, Knaresborough, Wetherby and as far as Harewood and Ripley on the 36 at only £5.70 on Car Free Fridays, it’s a lot cheaper than driving into town and paying for parking.”

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Cars make up an estimated 49 per cent of total emissions in the Harrogate district – a percentage that remained almost static over the 10 years prior to the pandemic, while emissions produced by generating power for homes fell by 26.5 per cent over the same period.

Jemima Parker, chair of Zero Carbon Harrogate, said:

“We all know congestion has returned to Harrogate’s roads following the pandemic – and cars are one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions in our town.

“That’s why we are bringing back our Car Free Fridays campaign, and inviting drivers to sign a pledge to leave the car at home. Doing so will improve air quality for everyone, while walking to the bus stop can also boost our own physical and mental health.”

The deal is available on all Harrogate Bus Company services in and around Harrogate and Knaresborough, plus routes 7 and 8 as far as Wetherby, and the 36 north as far as Ripley and south as far as Harewood.

Knaresborough community organisation launches youth bus

A community organisation based in Knaresborough has launched a community bus to provide a safe mode of transport that keeps young people educated and engaged.

Knaresborough Revolution’s SPACE Community Youth Bus offers study areas, games consoles, a music system and arts and crafts materials to be enjoyed while riding.

It is fitted with high-speed Wi-Fi for passengers to access educational resources and engage with the wider community.

Trained youth workers will also be on hand to provide guidance and mentorship to the young people.

The bus, which has been funded by sponsors and community partners, will travel to local parks, neighbourhoods and community centres throughout Knaresborough and hopes to “remove barriers to participating and foster a sense of belonging”.

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James Pickard, chair of Knaresborough Revolution, said:

“We are thrilled to launch the Community Youth Bus, as it represents a significant step forward in our commitment to empowering Knaresborough’s youth.

“By bringing our services directly to their neighbourhoods, we are breaking down geographical and social barriers, ensuring every young person has access to opportunities for growth, personal development, and positive engagement.”

The bus is suitable for children aged 11 upwards and will be free to ride.

It currently runs every Tuesday from 7 – 9pm and will begin its journey opposite Gracious Street Car Park.

Harrogate Bus Company announces timetable changes

The number 36 bus between Leeds and Ripon via Harrogate is to run every 10 minutes again from next month, the Harrogate Bus Company has confirmed. 

The service had been running less frequently due to the four-week closure of the Grade II* listed Harewood Bridge for essential maintenance works, which are due to end on Thursday, August 24. 

The timetable change is one of several announced by the bus company, all of which will come into force on Sunday, September 3. 

The schedule for the number 1 bus between Harrogate and Knaresborough will be changed slightly to improve reliability, although the frequency will remain the same. 

On the number 2 service between Harrogate and Bilton, there will be minor changes to departure times from Knox into Harrogate. 

Some afternoon departures on the number 8 bus between Harrogate, Knaresborough and Wetherby will have new times. The 4.21pm from Knaresborough to Wetherby will run at 4.41pm, the 4.55pm from Wetherby will run at 5.15pm and the 6pm from Harrogate will run at 6.15pm. There are no changes to Saturday the service. 

There will also be some changes to the 620H (Dacre to Rosset School), 720H (West Tanfield to Ripon schools), S2 (Bilton to Rosset School), S3 (Penny Pot to Rosset School), S6 (Bilton to Rosset School), S8 (Woodlands to Harrogate) & S36 (Ripon to St John Fisher) buses to ensure the services run reliably and meet the school starting and finishing times. 

New timetables will be available to download soon from the Harrogate Bus Company website. 

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£2 bus fare cap to be extended in Harrogate district until October

The £2 cap on single bus fares is set to be extended in the Harrogate district until October 31.

The government announced an extra £300 million funding for the scheme today.

From November, the cap will rise to £2.50 for another 12 months.

A list of bus companies and routes in Yorkshire and the Humber taking part in the initiative is available here.

The scheme, which was introduced in January, was due to end in June.

Ministers at the Department for Transport said the extension will help people with the cost of living.

It means bus companies in Harrogate look set to continue the £2 cap on single fares.

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A spokesman for Transdev, which runs Harrogate Bus Company, said: 

“We wish to participate in the extended arrangements announced today, and will confirm further details with our customers and colleagues shortly.”

DalesBus also confirmed it would participate in the scheme.

Meanwhile, Mark Harper, transport secretary, said:

“Taking the bus is the most popular form of public transport and millions of people rely on these vital services every day.

“That’s why we’re investing half a billion pounds to help people save money amid cost of living pressures and continue to level up transport in all parts of the country, doing our bit to help halve inflation and grow the economy.”

North Yorkshire Council to review bus services support, says transport chief

North Yorkshire’s transport boss has said the council intends to carry out a review of how it supports bus services amid concerns over passenger numbers.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for transport at North Yorkshire Council, said grants from government and a cap on £2 fares will help some routes to continue into next year.

However, he added that the authority would review how it can support bus companies in future.

In a statement due before this week’s full council, Cllr Duncan said:

“We have just accepted the final extension to the Local Transport Fund grant from the DfT. 

“This amounts to an additional £360k which will be used to support services. We hope this will allow current service levels to continue for at least a further year. This allows us time to conduct a wider review of the way the council supports services. 

“However, increased passenger numbers, not subsidies, remain the key to the long-term viability of bus services.”

The move comes as the 24 service from Pateley Bridge to Harrogate was recently saved until April next year.

Transdev, which operates the service, had initially planned to withdraw most services on the route.

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However, talks between the council and operator secured the service for another year.

The move coincided with an extension to the government’s £2 cap on single fares until June and extra funding for routes at risk of being reduced.

At the time, Cllr Duncan warned that government cash “cannot continue in perpetuity”.

Company defends Nidderdale school bus cost amid price hike

A bus company has defended an increase in fares for a Nidderdale school service after the cost rose to nearly £1,000 a year.

The price of a bus from Ripon to Nidderdale High School jumped from £600 to £950 for the forthcoming school year starting in September.

The figure amounts to a 58% increase in price compared with the previous academic year.

Procters Coaches, which runs the bus, said diesel costs, wages and insurance meant the cost had to be passed on.

Jennie Eyres, who lives in Ripon, has a daughter heading to the school this September.

She said that she was “astonished” to find the hike in cost when she was looking to send her child to Nidderdale.

Ms Eyres said:

“As a parent with a child intending to start at Nidderdale in September, travelling from Ripon, I was astonished to find out how expensive the bus was, and even more so to find out the huge hike in price that has happened since the previous academic year.

“We are all very aware of costs going up all around us at the moment, and to an extent we do understand. However this is much more than the 10,15 or even 20% rise that could potentially be expected.”

Ms Eyres said diesel prices had actually gone down since the middle of last summer, and should not be cited as a reason for the fare increase, adding:

“The cost of insurance has increased by 20% and wages approximately 10% – neither of these are figures that back up the increase of almost 60%.”

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Nidderdale High, which has 401 pupils on its roll, said it had subsidised the cost that had been passed on as part of the bus contract.

Kath Jordan, headteacher at the school, pointed out that governors had taken the decision to subsidise the cost “very significantly” despite the hike.

She added that officials at Nidderdale were mindful of the cost of living when setting prices for parents.

She said:

“The governing body were very mindful of cost of living pressures this year when making the difficult decision to increase the cost of bus passes and have increased the level of subsidy paid by the school to keep the cost to parents as low as possible, whilst also trying to balance this against the increased cost pressures on the overall school budget.

“The Ripon bus service is used entirely by families who live outside the school’s catchment area and therefore are not entitled to free transport to school provided by the local authority. There isn’t a public bus service available for families to use. Families who choose Nidderdale High School and live out of catchment are responsible for transport to school.

“We are delighted that so many families from beyond our immediate catchment area have recognised the high quality of education and care for the individual that we offer at Nidderdale High School and have made the positive choice to be part of our school community.”

Kevin Procter, managing director at Procters Coaches, said his company had to handle the cost of inflation like other businesses.

Mr Procter, who has run the school bus for six years, said he sympathised with parents but had to make the service cost-effective.

He said:

“Things go up in price and do not go down, unfortunately.”

North Yorkshire bus funding ‘cannot continue in perpetuity’, warns senior councillor

A senior county councillor has warned that funding designed to save under-threat bus services in North Yorkshire “cannot continue in perpetuity”.

The Department for Transport recently announced an extension of the £2 cap on bus fares plus £80 million worth of grants to routes at risk of being reduced or scrapped.

The move comes as the 24 services from Pateley Bridge to Harrogate was recently saved until April next year.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for transport at North Yorkshire County Council, said that extra government funding was welcome and the council would look to target it at services in need of support.

However, he added that the funding would not continue in perpetuity.

He said:

“News of the £2 bus fare cap extension and additional £80million support package is very welcome. These measures will be vital to the council’s ongoing efforts to protect bus services through this difficult period.

“Exact details of how much funding we will receive is expected shortly and we will ensure this is targeted at services in need of support.

“While this extra funding will act as a critical lifeline to at-risk services at a time when passengers numbers are down and costs are up, we know funding cannot continue in perpetuity.

“Passengers remain key to the long-term viability of services, and we must use the coming months to work with operators to promote services and invest in the marketing, ticketing and infrastructure needed to encourage more people to choose the bus.

“It is only by doing this that we will have a sustainable network of services, responsive to passenger needs and free from the uncertainty that comes with long-term reliance on taxpayer funding.”

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Cllr Duncan has previously warned that up to 79 services faced reduced frequency or ceasing altogether when central government funding comes to an end in March.

The comments come as the county council negotiated funding to secure the 24 bus route between Pateley Bridge and Harrogate until April next year.

Transdev, which operates the service, had initially planned to withdraw most services on the route.

Harrogate bus operators confirm £2 fare cap extension

Bus companies in the Harrogate district have confirmed they will take part in an extension to the £2 fare cap.

The move comes in line with a government announcement that it had extended the cap until on single tickets until June this year.

The scheme was introduced at the start of January and was due to finish at the end of March. 

But the Department for Transport announced last Friday that it was providing £75 million to extend the initiative.

Paul Turner, commercial director at Transdev, said Harrogate Bus Company would take part in the extension.

He said:

“We’re delighted to see to see that the Department for Transport has announced that the £2 fare cap will be extended until the end of June.

“So far during the fare cap, we have seen 11% extra customers on some of our routes, compared to customer numbers in November, and we’ve also seen the busiest day in the history of our company.

“The three month extension to the cap is bound to be good news for our existing customers, and we hope it will continue to encourage new customers out of the car and onto the bus.”

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Meanwhile, Craig Temple, managing director at Connexions Buses, said the operator would also continue with a £2 cap on fares.

The £2 cap has reduced the cost of a 29-mile journey from Ripon to Leeds on the 36 bus by 73 per cent from £7.50 to £2, while the cost of a ticket from Harrogate to Bradford on the Flyer A2 has fallen by 63 per cent from £5.40 to £2.

Ministers hope the initiative will reinvigorate bus services amid fears many routes will be cut when funding runs out.

Extinction Rebellion to bring bus to Harrogate district tomorrow

Climate activists from Extinction Rebellion (XR) will drive a bus to Pateley Bridge and Harrogate tomorrow to talk to people about climate change.

But although the bus has solar panels on its roof, the bus is not electric and is powered by diesel.

A fleet of multicoloured buses have been travelling the country as part of XR’s Change Is Now tour.

The idea is to visit different XR groups and have conversations with local people about their climate change hopes and fears.

Tomorrow morning, the bus will be in Pateley Bridge to promote a film called 2040, which is showing at Summerbridge Methodist Chapel from 6.30pm that evening. Entry is free.

They will then park up in Harrogate and head to Cambridge Street between 12pm and 4pm to talk to people and canvas views.

A petition calling on the government to take firmer action on climate change will be available to sign.

People can also bring along plain t-shirts or fabrics to get them block-printed with XR graphics.

James Smith, from XR Harrogate, said:

“People really want to talk about climate change.

“When they talk, it becomes more real to people and they then might take action.”

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Mr Smith said he was expecting some criticism about XR using a diesel bus rather than an electric one.

He added:

“Even a group of totally committed green activists have to use a diesel bus, there are no viable, affordable electric buses.

“But this is the point — no matter how green you are you can’t always take the eco, fossil fuel free option that you’d like. We’re calling on the government to plan and fund a zero-carbon economy. “

Extinction Rebellion’s visit will also coincide with the Green Party’s national conference, which is taking place from Friday until Sunday at Harrogate Convention Centre.

Pateley Bridge mum’s fear over £660 sixth form bus cost

A mother in Pateley Bridge has raised concerns about the cost of getting children to sixth form on the bus.

Sariah Broadhead’s son attends St. Aidan’s Church of England High School in Harrogate.

Nidderdale High School, the only secondary school in Pateley Bridge, does not have a sixth form so her son has to travel for his education.

Ms Broadhead has to pay £660 a year for a bus ticket — something she has had to do for her three other children in the past.

The price of the ticket has become an increasing concern as the cost of living crisis bites. She said:

“With everything going up, with the price, everything is really high.”

Children up to Year 11 are entitled to free travel to their nearest school if they live more than a three-mile walk away.

Pupils can use commercial buses or special services provided by North Yorkshire County Council.

However, although the age for leaving education has increased to 18, no provision has been made for free school transport for over 16s.

Parents can buy a yearly ticket from the county council but this also costs £650 for the year.

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Sariah Broadhead - a Pateley Bridge mum whose son's bus pass cost £660

Sariah Broadhead has to pay £660 for her son’s bus pass (photo: Sariah Broadhead).

This has proved to be a problem in Nidderdale because there are no school buses into Harrogate.

Instead, Ms Broadhead’s son has to take the Harrogate Bus Company’s 24 service.

The company does not provide annual tickets for the route, forcing her to buy a pass which covers the whole of the north of England.

Mrs Broadhead believes the situation has left her “in a catch-22”. She added:

“This is the only option we have. Things are getting tighter.”

In response, a Harrogate Bus Company spokesman said:

“We welcome customer feedback on our ticket range, and fully understand justifiable concerns about the cost of living and financial pressures being experienced across the country.

“The annual version of our Gold pass for under-19s and students represents very good value, especially as it gives unlimited travel throughout our entire network from Manchester and Preston to Scarborough and Whitby, for the equivalent of less than £12.70 a week.”