Agenda item

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

Andy Clarke, Public and Community Transport Manager, NYC presented a report which updated Members on the local bus services in the committee area, and highlighted the following areas:

·       Due to the impacts of a significant increase in operating costs, along with national difficulties recruiting bus drivers there had been some service reductions across the county.

·       The bus company Arriva had closed their Wakefield depot, where the bulk of engineering work for the area was undertaken, due to structural issues which had come to light with the building.

·       There had been a number of service changes in the Selby area in July 2024, mainly on the routes operated by Arriva, due to congestion on the route into York which had led to a slight reduction in the frequency on some bus timetables.

·       The Coastliner service operating between Leeds, York and the East Coast had suffered difficulties with reliability, however additional resources had been put into the service; from the 27 October the service would see an increase in the frequency of buses to three per hour, running every 20 minutes between Leeds, Tadcaster and York.

·       Additional resources were being put into Service 476, Selby to Pontefract, and 164, Leeds to Sherburn in Elmet to Selby routes from February 2025, with additional journeys to the Sherburn in Elmet Industrial Estate.

·       A fare cap of £1 per journey for young people under the age of 19 had been put in place until the end of December 2024.

·       Following the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP3) allocation of funding in 2024/25, North Yorkshire were currently waiting to see what funding would be made available for 2025/26 and onwards.

·       Following the creation of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (CA) and the election of a Mayor in May 2024, the CA had overall strategic responsibility for public transport, with the day-to-day operational functions being delegated to NYC and the City of York Councils.  Future funding from government would be paid to the CA, who would lead on the creation of a new joint Bus Service Improvement Plan for York and North Yorkshire from 2025 onwards.

Discussion took place around the possibility of franchising bus services.  The Leader, Councillor Les, who was in attendance, advised Members that the Mayor had not reached a view on the franchising model as yet, and that the Mayor’s office had recently received a list of dates for the next cycle of NY Area Committee’s, therefore the AC should invite the Mayor to the next available meeting.

One Member highlighted that a local parish council had investigated the possibility of buying a minibus and queried if there would be any financial support for such a venture.  The officer confirmed that potentially there could be and advised the Member on two grant schemes which were available to support this kind of scheme. 

Members confirmed that they would like to leave the bus travel item on each AC agenda, however this could take the form of a short, written update unless something strategically significant were to take place, in which case Members would like an officer to attend the meeting.

The Chair thanked the officer for his attendance at the meeting and the updates provided.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.