A GROUP of councillors is calling for the decision to cut North Yorkshire bus services by £2m to go before a scrutiny committee.

A total of 11 services have been hit by the subsidy cuts, which were approved at a North Yorkshire County Council executive meeting last week.

Pickering will lose its town bus service completely from April.

Despite alternative suggestions from councillors, which included taxis and a local dial-a-ride service, there are concerns that the loss of services will leave elderly people isolated and unable to attend hospital and doctors appointments.

Coun John Clark, who attended the county council executive meeting, said he is currently trying to have the decision looked at by the council’s scrutiny committee.

“Myself and others across the county are looking in to calling the decision in because it is decidedly wrong,” he said.

If a minimum of six councillors feel that a decision is wrong and want it to be looked at again, they can call for it to be discussed at the council’s scrutiny meeting.

Pickering Town Council has been told that the county council’s own mini-coach services could be available for use.

Mayor Sue Cowan said the aim was for the mini-coaches, operated by the council to transport residents of its authority-run homes, to be available for public use during the day.

Coun Cowan said the town council had investigated the possibility of providing a subsidy, but there was no bus operator interested in running a service.

Anne McIntosh, MP for Thirsk, Malton and Filey, has raised the issue in the House of Commons, calling for pensioners to be able to pay towards their own bus fares. Council officials said the law would not allow them to.

Ryedale Community Transport is appealing for volunteers to join its car scheme, which offers a door-to-door service and is cheaper than a taxis.

Volunteers can give up as much or little time as they like and will receive 45p a mile to cover costs.