FURTHER to your comment headlined “Do we need buses?” (D&S Times, Jan 15), I have frequently used the bus services in North Yorkshire, particularly in the Northallerton and Wensleydale areas, for the last 11 years.

Due to the austerity measures taken by this Government, I have seen what was once an excellent service slowly deteriorate, mainly as county council subsidies are cut.

I too saw the BBC Countryfile feature on rural bus services. While it highlighted the problem in financing such services it did not give any solutions, but it did touch on the problem of a recently formed rural bus service suffering from the use by concessionary pass users.

I have nothing against the concessionary pass – I have one myself – and I am sure they help people get about.

However, completely free bus travel is not viable any longer and I would advocate that a small charge be made each time the concessionary pass is used. I have discussed this with fellow passengers and most agreed that they would be prepared to pay a token fare when using the pass.

When I raised this with the county council, I was informed that it had lobbied this Government about doing this but has been refused, apparently because the Prime Minister said in his manifesto that the concessionary pass would be free during his term of office so no charge can be made.

I gathered from the county council that in one particular year, the bus pass was used four million times in North Yorkshire. Charging a fee of, say, 50p per use would bring in £2m and greatly help to keep these services going.

The Government should listen to these suggestions and allow a charge per use or even a yearly subscription for the concessionary pass.

As a bus driver said to me: “David Cameron will keep his promise of the free concessionary pass but there will be no buses to use them on.”

L Ward, Northallerton

I HAVE discussed the implications of the bus cuts coming into force on February 1 with several local residents. Some will be hit hard.

A Leyburn woman who doesn’t drive sees a specialist who only comes to the Friarage on Thursday afternoons.

She would have to catch the No 73 bus from Northallerton at just after 1pm to get the connecting bus from Bedale back to Leyburn at 1.45pm, this being the LAST bus of the day.

Given that consultants have lunch before their afternoon sessions, I cannot see how she could be seen in time to do this. Anyone in Bedale with a Friarage appointment would have to be seen between 11am and 12.45pm – a very tight window.

No one from upper Wensleydale without a car will be able to visit a patient in the Friarage as visiting time doesn’t start until 3pm. The last bus leaving Bedale at 1.45 makes it impossible.

There are also concerns about railway connections at Northallerton.

I have asked North Yorkshire County Council if it will have further discussions with Abbotts coaches to see if they will re-instate what has been a very useful service.

An Abbotts’ bus drops children at school in Leyburn and then stops in the market place at 9am to take people to Bedale on the way to their depot. They stop in Bedale to pick up passengers at 3.10pm on their way back to Leyburn collect the schoolchildren.

The unbelievable is about to happen: Leyburn (and the upper dale) will have no bus service to Bedale and Northallerton on Saturdays from February 1.

If the Wensleydale Flyer ceases to operate that means no buses along the length of Wensleydale at all over the weekends. The negative impact on tourism and businesses along the dale will be felt during the spring and summer.

Leyburn Town Council has shown its support for rural bus services by promising £500 if the Sunday bus runs after Easter. Well done to the council, but other parish councils along the length of Wensleydale should also be showing their support on behalf of their residents.

Sheila Simms, Leyburn