A York bus service has been ‘saved’ after a campaign by councillors and residents.

The 12 and 12a routes, serving Heworth and Woodthorpe faced the axe from January 22.

Bus operator First York said passenger numbers were low and it faced rising costs and a driver shortage.

But now City of York Council has awarded it a £59,000 subsidy to keep an hourly service going until the end of March.

After then, a tender for a long-term service will have been settled.

Councillors have welcomed the council move, noting how it followed 1,000 people signing a petition to save the route and 40 also attending a public meeting on the issue.

But they and the city council warn of further problems facing bus services in York.

Westfield ward councillor Simon Daubeney says the council decision is a huge relief to Woodthorpe, Acomb Park and Foxwood residents, who faced the loss of their only bus service.

Cllr Daubeney said the December public meeting confirmed how important the service was to many residents. They told councillors what they wanted with the service and councillors would discuss this with bus operators and council officials.

Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward councillor Stephen Fenton said it was disappointing the twice-hourly service had now been halved, but it was “really crucial” more people use the service so operators see the route as sustainable after April.

Cllr Fenton said the government needs to “urgent long term support” from central government and it was unrealistic to expect councils to step in when they face their own cost pressures.

A spokesperson for City of York Council, said: “Given the need to ensure the service was safeguarded before the end of January, we’ve taken swift steps to carry out a short-notice tender exercise to seek a replacement service between 23 January and 31 March 2023. This tender process has now concluded, and the award will be announced shortly.”

The city council says the funding came from 2022/23 Bus Improvement Service Funding support it received from central government.

It is tendering for fresh services from April but government support given to councils to support bus services in response to Covid end in March.

The bus industry pre covid in York was worth £24 million pounds and the council says it funds approximately £0.72 million of this through its own funding subsidising a number of services every year. 

But due to covid, bus use has fallen a fifth. Bus companies also face higher operating costs for diesel and electric buses and a national driver shortage.

This funding has enabled the 12, 13 and 412 services to be safeguarded in the short term, as well as the recommissioning of the Poppleton Park and Ride Site for Easter, the city council added.