North Yorkshire Council will axe the YorBus service next month nearly two years after it was launched.
The service, which operates between Ripon, Bedale, and Masham, was launched as a pilot scheme by the council in July 2021 to offer rural residents low-cost journeys on demand.
The service could be booked by residents via an app.
However, council officials have decided to axe the service as it had become too expensive to run. As a result, it will end on June 30.
The authority added that the cost per journey of YorBus was “significantly higher than the traditional, timetabled bus routes”.
The pilots costs around £230,000 to operate annually, but latest figures suggest YorBus journeys cost over twice as much as a scheduled service.
A YorBus service, which operates in Masham and Ripon.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:
“We launched the YorBus pilot two years ago to enhance our existing public transport network.
“It has allowed us to gather valuable information about the costs and benefits of running a digital demand responsive bus service.
“Without sufficient additional funding being available to expand the service so YorBus can benefit residents across North Yorkshire, and with costs per journey remaining so high despite efforts to improve value for money, the pilot will come to an end as planned next month.”
When discussing the service coming to an end, he added:
“This will allow us to be fair to all residents and focus every penny of our limited resources on supporting bus services across the county at a time of unprecedented pressure.
“While continuing to work closely with operators to support at-risk services, we are also currently reviewing a number of initiatives to improve rural transport and asking the public for their views to help shape our future strategy.”
In 2022, the council bid for £116 million to improve bus services as part of the Government’s Bus Back Better scheme, but was unsuccessful. An expansion of the YorBus service was earmarked if the funding had been granted.
The two YorBus vehicles will be returned for use on other local bus services and drivers will be redeployed.
Earlier this week, the council launched the Let’s Talk Transport survey, asking residents to share their travel habits in hopes to develop the travel strategy for the coming decades.
Bus routes 136, 138, 138A, 139, 144 and 159 will continue to run, as well as alternative community transport operators in the area where YorBus ran.
Alternative travel options can be found here.
Read more:
- Councillor outlines plans for new train station in Harrogate
- £6m spent on transition to North Yorkshire Council so far