GREEN councillors have launched a petition calling for a ‘step-change’ in evening bus services in York.

Coun Andy D’Agorne claims the number of evening buses has fallen in the past couple of years, and improvements are needed if the city centre is to fight back successfully against out-of-town competition.

He said rival tourist cities such as Edinburgh have cheaper, more frequent services all year round, with many evening services running half hourly until 11.30pm.

"If we aspire to be an international, world heritage city we must have a plan to achieve a better public transport service that doesn't close down at 7pm,” said Coun D’Agorne, a Fishergate councillor.

The petition to City of York Council says that “only a 'step change' improvement in frequency availability and promotion of evening services will halt the continued decline in bus use and regular services for York residents.’

It goes on to claim a partnership approach is needed to promote and improve services without any additional council funding.

Coun D’Agorne said residents in Fulford had a worse evening service compared with two years ago, following a reduction in the Arriva 415 service from hourly to only two buses per evening, neither of which now served the railway station.

He said he had attended a meeting of the York Quality Bus Partnership - a forum of representatives of the city's bus operators and council transport planners - to call for improvements as part of a fightback against out of town developments.

He suggested a partnership with city centre entertainment venues could see mutual benefits, especially in the autumn when Christmas late night shopping could boost demand for travel. He said partnership members should seek a meeting with representatives of theatres, cinemas and nightclubs to formulate a promotional effort, encouraging their customers to use existing or new evening services.

“These businesses have season ticket holders and members addresses and emails, and have the potential to boost public transport use while the bus companies can in turn promote their shows. Why is this not happening already?" he asked. *The petition can be found at http://tinyurl.com/co5oaza.