COUNCIL chiefs will have to think “very carefully” about how best to spend its bus service improvement grant, an opposition councillor has said, after York received less than half the amount it asked for.

Cllr Rachel Melly, Labour’s spokesperson for transport, questioned whether the £17 million given to the council over three years would be the “game-changer” it had hoped when it submitted its £48 million bus service improvement plan (BSIP) in October last year.

As reported in The Press online on Tuesday, news of the grant has been welcomed in the city, particularly as only 31 BSIP submissions in England out of more than 70 prepared by local authorities have been funded, to the tune of £1.08bn.

Reports earlier this year suggested the Department for Transport had cut the overall funding from an initial £3bn, with many local authorities this week receiving substantially less than they asked for.

York Civic Trust welcomed the announcement, while York Bus Forum said it was “excellent news for York”.

A bus forum post on social media said: “It has done very well indeed comparatively, albeit less than half its original ask, so there will be some choices to be made.”

Key objectives in the council’s BSIP included improving the frequency of bus services, providing more routes and supporting the reintroduction of park and ride services from Poppleton Bar following its use as a Covid testing centre.

The council also wants cheaper tickets for young people, better tickets which are valid for travel on all bus services in York and more bus priority routes to new housing developments around the city.

Cllr Melley said: “Since the Government cut its budget for supporting bus services from £3bn to £1.4bn, funding awards have been significantly cut back from what councils really need to help get people back using buses in far greater numbers again.”  

She added: “So the council is going to have to consider very carefully how this more limited pot of money is to be spent to make bus services more attractive. But given that almost 50 of 80 areas missed out on funding altogether, it’s welcome news that York has at least got some funding. 

“Having reliable, affordable and accessible bus services is important for York residents and also crucial to supporting the local economy and cutting carbon. Achieving these goals is a challenge the current administration needs to take seriously.”

Last month, the council was awarded over £8.4 million to buy 44 fully electric buses.

Council leader Keith Aspden, welcomed the fresh government cash.

He said:  “We know that many residents across the city rely on the city’s buses and with this funding, we hope to make a series of improvements to the local network, from installing new lighting and real time bus information at local bus stops, to increasing the frequency of bus services and providing more routes for residents to access.”

The council’s deputy leader and executive member for transport, Coun Andy D’Agorne, said: “This is fundamental to achieving the city’s carbon reduction goals while supporting the development strategy set out in the Local Plan. 

“To encourage greater use of the bus network, and sustainable travel routes, our network and bus services must be safe, convenient and attractive to residents, commuters and visitors.”