Bus passengers in North Yorkshire face ‘use it or lose it’ situation as new threat to services looms

With less than six months until a Government financial support package to commercial companies to keep services running in North Yorkshire is scheduled to end, Coun Carl Les said passenger numbers were still not back to pre-Covid levels.

And he sounded an alert that, despite the county council's support for bus services to the tune of more than £1million annually, the threat to their future remained.

"We are in a time of immense pressure for bus services nationally and North Yorkshire is no exception," said Coun Les.

“Throughout the pandemic, the Government has provided significant support to commercial companies to keep services running in North Yorkshire that would otherwise have been lost.

“While it is very welcome that this has been extended until March, we know many routes are continuing to struggle and companies tell us it will be impossible for these to continue operating without significant additional funding.

“The stark reality is that the survival of many services across the county are on a knife edge.

"We are in a use it or lose it situation.”

The bus network across North Yorkshire, which is England’s largest county, has been placed under unprecedented pressure due to a combination of factors as passenger numbers have dwindled.

The Covid-19 pandemic had a profound impact and many passengers have not returned to public transport as working habits and lifestyles have changed.

Passenger numbers in North Yorkshire recovered but remain below pre-pandemic levels at about 80 per cent.

The authority already supports bus services that are not commercially viable at a cost of £1.6m per year.Earlier this year all local authorities were instructed by the Department for Transport (DfT) to work with bus operators to assess what impact the planned withdrawal of central

Government grant funding from October would have on local bus services.

While the Government has now extended grant funding until March 2023, this will only partially offset the combination of higher operating costs and lower fares income. It also does not address the risks after that funding ends.

It's for that reason that residents are now being encouraged to take advantage of North Yorkshire’s vast bus network to help support services at a critical time.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Coun Keane Duncan, said: “Bus services in North Yorkshire are facing significant pressure due to reduced passenger numbers, increasing costs and staff shortages.

"While the council uses £1.6m each year to support services that are not commercially viable, this cannot meet the scale of the challenge we are now experiencing from routes operating without council subsidy.

“The council has been successful in lobbying Government for extra financial support but we accept this will not continue in perpetuity.

"We are working closely with operators to encourage passengers to use services and protect them for our communities.”

The county council also liaises with bus operators to maintain and improve North Yorkshire’s public transport through its Enhanced Partnership (EP) agreement.

When a service is at threat of withdrawal North Yorkshire County Council works with operators to seek a solution, though this it is not always possible.