EXTRA early morning and early evening buses are set to run on several routes in York from next week, following an agreement between council officials and operators.

Additional services will be provided on the 1, 5, 6, and 44 routes to benefit commuters and residents travelling before 7.30am and after 6.30pm.

A council spokeswoman said the journeys were added after comparisons between York’s bus network and those in similar towns and cities elsewhere suggested the city had lower frequency services at the beginning and end of the working day.

She said the changes included re-timing to give more regular services and: *On service 1, two extra journeys between 6pm and 7pm from Wigginton into the city centre, one extra evening journey from the centre to Wigginton and one extra journey from the centre to Chapelfields.

*On service 5, two extra journeys between Strensall and Acomb between 6pm and 7pm *On service 6, an extra journey between Clifton Moor, the city centre and the university between 6pm and 7pm *On service 44, an extra return journey to give a 10-minute service frequency in both directions between the centre and university from 7am.

She said the new services had also been designed to make the bus timetable easier to remember, because high service frequencies on York’s busiest bus services now covered the entire period from 7am to 7pm from Monday to Friday, complementing Park&Ride services.

"The extra journeys will cost approximately £40,000 from Department for Transport funding per year to operate initially, although it is intended that an increasing proportion of these costs will be recovered through fare income over time – and they will break even after one to two years," she said.

"The initiative is supported through part of the £1.2 million Better Bus Area Programme awarded to the council from the Department in 2013. This is an innovative partnership between bus operators and the council which is only used in four other places in England."

For further information, go to www.itravelyork.info/buses, call 01904 551400 or visit the Bus Information Point in the Travel Centre at York Station.