York threatened bus routes saved until 2025

The 412 links Tockwith, Long Marston and Bickerton with Wetherby and York

Threatened bus routes in York and around North Yorkshire have been saved until 2025, a council has said.

The 12, 13 and 412 buses serving areas including Tockwith, Acomb and Haxby were secured after City of York Council agreed subsidy deals with operators.

But the authority warned that other services could be at risk if passenger numbers did not increase and government did not provide extra funding.

Councillor Andy D'Agorne said buses "provide a lifeline" for communities.

The 412 bus links Tockwith, Long Marston and Bickerton with Wetherby and York, but operator Connexions said last year that rising costs and dwindling passenger numbers had rendered the route unsustainable.

All three bus routes were withdrawn by their operators in December but short-term measures were put in place to keep them running temporarily, the council said.

It has now agreed new contracts to subsidise the routes until 31 March 2025 but warned that some services could face a reduction in frequency if other parts of the network need to be protected.

It has not yet been confirmed which operators will be running the routes.

The council said it had to focus on preserving bus routes, rather than the frequency of services.

City of York Council warned that further routes could be at risk due to rising costs and lower passenger numbers

Mr D'Agorne, executive member for transport, said: "If people don't use the bus services, they could lose them.

"A combination of the ending of government Covid-19 funding support, alongside increasing national driver shortages and rising fuel costs, has created a crisis for the bus industry.

"The council cannot fix the crisis, but we'll be working hard to safeguard the bus network and help it weather the current storm.

"Keeping the current bus network even with a reduced frequency provides a better basis to build back in the future."