York: City bus service cuts worth £200k approved

Cuts to bus services in York are due to economic challenges

"Heartbreaking" cuts to bus services in York to save £200,000 have been approved.

The changes agreed by the city council's executive will see alterations to routes and service frequency.

A disability campaigner said it would "remove access" to buses for some mobility impaired and older residents.

The council said continuing to subsidise certain routes was "not economical".

Pete Kilbane, executive member for transport, said the council wanted to operate a service for residents but wanted to do so with "companies that want to make a business profit".

"Until we get to the point where buses are once again properly funded as a public service, we are constantly going to be trying to square this circle," he said.

He said the authority was no longer able to subsidise routes that were economically unviable, but socially necessary.

'Removes access'

Changes recommended include withdrawing the Monday to Friday route serving the Flaxman Croft Loop in Copmanthorpe.

For some residents it would result in an additional walking distance of up to 0.4 miles (650m) to the nearest bus stop.

Flick Williams, a disability rights campaigner, said: "It removes access to bus services entirely for those residents who are older or mobility impaired and for whom walking half a mile uphill is simply not possible."

Bus routes affected by the changes include the numbers 1, 11, 13, 14, 16, 19, 24, 25 and 26.

The council's head of highways and transport Michael Howard said the operator of the number 13 route had wanted to reduce it from a four-bus operation to three.

"Whilst we have asked him to continue to operate that service, he has declined to do so."

He added: "Without the support of the operator we currently have there, it is very difficult for us as officers to support and we understand the concerns of residents in those areas."

Mr Kilbane said the changes were done with "great regret" but he hoped to reinstate the services when it was economically possible.

"That is heartbreaking and I wish we didn't have to do it, but we do," he added.

The new service timetable could be enacted as early as 2 June.