North Yorkshire Council

13 December 2024

Public transport in the Committee area

Report of the Corporate Director of Environment

1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1 To provide an update on local bus services in the Committee area.

2.0 Background

2.1 This is an update providing information on upcoming changes to local bus services and recent government announcements regarding bus funding and the national bus fare cap.

2.2 North Yorkshire Council continues to support local bus services using our council budget and by accessing grant funding from central government. This is helping to keep the current bus network running and the council is now financially supporting many previously commercial bus routes that would otherwise have been withdrawn entirely in the last two years.

3.0 Bus Service Update

3.1 Arriva operate much of the bus network in the Selby area and are making service changes on 5 January. Funding for the service enhancements to routes 64, 164 and 476 is being provided by North Yorkshire Council using Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP3) grant funding. These changes follow requests raised by passengers and councillors, many arising from the Bus Surgery held by MP Keir Mather in the summer.

3.2 Key features of these changes include:

· Abbots Road estate will benefit from earlier journeys to Selby, following requests from the community and local councillors. Service 401 will divert around the estate from 5 January instead of service 476. This means new connections from Abbots Road estate to Goole.

· Camblesforth, Snaith and Rawcliffe see a later trip on service 401.

· Staynor Hall estate will be reconnected to the bus network with service 8 operating through the development. Subject to a satisfactory Route Risk Assessment, Arriva intend that the new route will be able to reach more of the estate than before.

· In Thorpe Willoughby buses will be diverting via Fox Lane and Field Lane and continue along Barff Lane to/from Selby providing new links to Selby War Memorial Hospital. This change is made following requests from the community and the MP.

· Brayton will have double the number of buses, with services running to/from Selby up to every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime, as well as a direct hourly link to Leeds for the first time.

· Hambleton, Monk Fryston and South Milford will have more direct buses to Leeds when most service 64 journeys become service 164 journeys instead.

· In response to local requests from Sherburn-in-Elmet, most service 164 journeys will now run direct to Leeds via Micklefield and Garforth, instead of serving the Industrial Estate first. Arriva will still run journeys to/from the Industrial Estate at key shift change times.

· The Service 476 timetable frequency will be increased to hourly with the route running between Selby Bus Station and Pontefract only. The Abbots Road estate will be served by service 401.

4.0 National £2 fare cap scheme

4.1 In January 2023, a national scheme was introduced to lower bus fares and encourage more people to travel by bus. Funded by the Government, the scheme means that a single bus journey on all eligible bus routes run by participating operators costs no more than £2 (or £4 return). The majority of the local bus operators in North Yorkshire are taking part in the scheme.

4.2 The fare scheme was originally due to run for three months but was then extended until 30 June 2023 and more recently further extended to December 2024. The government announced in the Autumn Budget that this would become a national £3 fare cap from 1^st January 2025 until 31^st December 2025.

5.0 Government funding & the role of the Combined Authority

5.1 Along with all local authorities in the country, NYC have received grants since the pandemic which help to offset the loss in bus fare revenue and recent cost increases. These have allowed us to keep the current bus network in place. However, there have been different funding streams, often provided for short periods of time and at very short notice which has made longer term planning of the bus network very difficult. The BSIP3 grant received earlier this year is being used to fund the improvements in the Selby area listed above and also for the additional buses now running on the Coastliner routes between Leeds, Tadcaster, York, Scarborough and Whitby.

5.2 Following the creation of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (CA) and the election of a mayor in May 2024, the CA now has overall responsibility for public transport, but with delivery of day-to-day operational functions currently being delegated to North Yorkshire and City of York councils respectively.

5.3 A further one year of Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding for 2025/26 was announced in the Autumn Budget. We expect further details shortly. This funding will be paid direct to the CA who will provide strategic direction for public transport and lead on the creation of a new joint Bus Service Improvement Plan for York and North Yorkshire.

6.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

6.1 There are no financial implications arising directly from this report as it is providing an update.

7.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

7.1 There are no legal implications arising directly from this report as it is providing an update.

8.0 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

8.1 There are no equalities implications arising directly from this report as it is providing an update.

9.0 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS

9.1 There are no climate change implications arising directly from this report as it is providing an update.

10.0

RECOMMENDATION

10.1

That members note the contents of this report.

APPENDICES: None

Background Papers: None

Karl Battersby

Corporate Director – Environment

County Hall

Northallerton

29 November 2024

Report Author – Andy Clarke Public & Community Transport Manager

Presenter of Report – Andy Clarke Public & Community Transport Manager

Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions.