Secrecy plagued York bus ticket now touted to teenagers

new bus services promised

Young people can make the most of this half-term and all future bus trips by travelling for less in York with a new All York Young Person’s Day ticket.

The new ticket, launching tomorrow (25 May) means young people between the ages of 11-16 can now enjoy a day’s travel on participating bus companies throughout the city for only £2.30. The ticket will be valid from 9am on weekdays and all day on weekends and bank holidays.

The first ‘All York’ bus tickets for adults were launched last July. However the success of the ticket has been criticised as the York Council has refused to say how many – if any – York residents have actually purchased the ticket.

Tickets are valid on services run by:

· Arriva Yorkshire

· Coastliner (including Transdev York)

· ConnexionsBuses ( Harrogate Coach Travel)

· East Yorkshire Motor Services

· Eddie Brown

· First

· Reliance

· Stephenson’s

· Utopia

For more information visit www.york.gov.uk/allyork

20 mph speed limit consultation leaflets being delivered….if you are lucky

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

The Council is claiming that consultation leaflets on the proposed introduction of a 20 mph speed limit are new being delivered in west York.

However they are only being sent to the 13,000 homes that will have the limit applied to the highway outside their front doors.

This is a desperate attempt to bias the response. More people are likely to say they want low vehicle speeds outside their homes. Even then, most are likely to regard the £600,000 cost of the project as outrageous (the Council accepts that only a 3% reduction in vehicles speeds may result while the police have said that they will not enforce the new limit)

But it is an issue affecting nearly 25,000 homes or around 50,000 residents.

Everyone deserves to have a say.

You can Email your views to the Councillor responsible cllr.dmerrett@york.gov.uk with a request that they be drawn to the attention the meeting that will make a final decision on the proposals.

The majority of comments on the Councils pro 20 mph Facebook site are hostile to the proposed limit https://www.facebook.com/York20mph

Our survey in the Westfield Ward revealed that 85% of residents are opposed to a Citywide 20 mph speed limit.

North Yorkshire Police joins forces with residents to spring clean Bell Farm

North Yorkshire Police is joining forces with City of York Council, Bell Farm Management committee and the North Yorkshire and York Community Payback Team to spring clean

Residents are invited to come and take part in a litter pick in the Bull Ring and South Beck areas on 25th May as part of the Smarter York spring clean scheme.

For more information please visit www.york.gov.uk/smarteryork or follow@SmarterYork on Twitter.

Residents can nominate an area they think is in need of a spring clean by calling 01904 551551 or emailing ycc@york.gov.uk or download the Smarter York mobile phone application from all app stores.

Litter pickers, refuse sacks and high visibility vests are available to volunteers on the day.

York Council office move costs – more revelations

West Offices

The Council has spent £2.7 million moving into its new HQ at West Offices.

By far the largest sums went on furniture (£1.4 million) and ICT infrastructure (£800,000). The latter figure does not include the cabling undertaken by the builders.

A detailed list of removal costs is:

• Furniture £1,419,000

• Audio Visual £72,974

• Signage £103,060

• White Goods (Fridges, Dishwashers & Microwaves) £13,329

• Thin Terminals (Qty 398) £74,028

• Monitors (Qty 626) £50,080

• Telephones (Qty 480) £63,480

• ICT Infrastructure at West Offices – Cisco Data Network (core and edge), Firewall/DMZ Solution, Cisco Wireless Network £695,510

• ICT Cabling costs £19,973

• Datacentre Environment £24,284

• Telephony and Data Connectivity £71,359

• Removal costs £97,000

Total £2,704,077

As previously reported no income has been received by the Council for the sale of redundant equipment and furniture.

They say that the “works to clearing the old buildings is continuing. Any monies received by the clearance contractors for the sale of goods is offset against the invoiced costs of labour, transport, skip hire, and recycling costs”.

The West Offices are now full.

Tenants include the Citizens Advice Bureau (whoa re paying £15,000 a year in rent) and the NHS (£18,500).

“Free” accommodation is being made available to Veritau and the South Yorkshire Credit Union