The Council has announced that the 13A bus service – which provides a link from Tudor Road, Front Street and Green Lane to the City centre via Holly Bank – may be scrapped.
The service was only introduced about 12 months ago and had been criticised by residents in Tudor Road for only providing a one way link to essential services in the Front Street area.
There was no prior consultation with passengers about the threat to end the service.
We understand that, from Monday 29 September, the 13a Acomb to York bus service will be subsidised by the York Council.
Ominously the Council also says
“The council is currently in the process of reviewing its portfolio of subsidised bus services in order to deliver significant savings in this area for 2015/16, which was agreed at the Budget Council in February.
A consultation on all bus services in York will start soon and more details will follow shortly. However, until this review has been finalised, the council will continue to subsidies the 13a until it considers where savings need to be made across the city”.
The move followed a decision by First York to review the operation of the hourly 13a bus service to Acomb due to low usage.
First apparently claim that there are insufficient numbers to run the 13a service on a commercial basis.
The council has agreed to continue financing the operation of this service, at around £1,000 per week from the council’s transport budget. This will provide a 13a service for customers operated by First on behalf of the council.
We think that another operator would be able to provide the service for a much lower subsidy and would expect the Council to advertise the contract quickly and take the opportunity to address the concerns of Tudor Road residents.
From Monday the majority of the 13a service will operate as per the current timetable although the following journeys will no longer be in operation:
- 7.15am: Acomb – York Station
- 7.54am: York Station – Acomb
- 4.57pm: Acomb – York Station
- 5.36: York Station – Acomb
- 6pm: Acomb – York Station
Previous 13a journeys between York & Haxby will continue to be operated by First but will be renumbered 13.
For further information on bus service changes and for bus timetables, visit www.itravelyork.info/buses, call 01904 551400 or visit the Bus Information Point in the Travel Centre at York Station.
