Call for full inquiry into local bus services decisions

Perhaps it is time for bus passengers (and would-be passengers) to call for a full inquiry into recent decisions about local bus services, especially for evidence about the consequences of those decisions.

While the future of public transport is also part of a longer-term national discussion, evidence is accumulating day-by-day that passengers are now faced with real difficulties, the consequences of which affect families, employers, businesses, volunteers, the local economy and the wider community.

It was recently reported in the D&S Times that some older people who have moved to Northallerton to be within reach of hospital and other services are now finding their access restricted through cuts in town services.

In Lower Wensleydale, the loss of bus services between Bedale and Leyburn on weekday afternoons, and all day on Saturdays, affects intending passengers along the whole 40 mile distance between Northallerton and Hawes. The effects of this “missing link” which – until the end of January –- connected Hambleton and Richmondshire is causing inconvenience, frustration and distress.

In Upper Wensleydale, there have been refinements to the routes and timing of Little White Bus services from February 1.

However the irony is that, at the same time, reduction in Leyburn-Bedale services has significantly reduced important journey options for many people, both residents and visitors.

At the same time, there is an immediate threat to the important DalesBus Sunday No 856 direct service between Northallerton and Hawes and to other DalesBus weekend services into the Yorkshire Dales (including Aysgarth, Hawes and Garsdale station).

A start has been made on bringing these matters to wider attention; last week the D&S Times reported that Rishi Sunak MP had written to Patrick McLoughlin, Secretary of State for Transport, about the threat to DalesBus, for which evidence was produced in December (the Turnbull report) and featured on BBC Countryfile on January 10.

It takes time to do these things. Are there parish and town councillors and others in Northallerton and along the full length of Wensleydale who will take a lead in gathering evidence of how their constituents are affected by present bus services in the dale and submit that evidence to North Yorkshire County Council?

Meanwhile it is very important to remember that, while there have been cuts to some services, buses do still run – but check for timetable information dated February 1 onwards.

Ruth Annison, Askrigg