Issue - items at meetings - Petition calling for a bus service between Elvington and Monks Cross

This report asks Members to consider a petition presented by Councillor Vassie to Council on 12 April 2007, seeking better bus services for Elvington.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for City Strategy be advised to:

(i) Approve that the Director of City Strategy be directed to explore with the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, East Yorkshire Motor Services, and other bus companies whether or not any potentially beneficial changes can be made to the existing bus service through Elvington at no additional cost to the Council.

(ii) Approve that the Director of City Strategy is directed to consider the need and feasibility for bus service improvements for Elvington when development work is undertaken to implement the Bus Strategy within the Council’s Local Transport Plan.

(iii) Approve that Officers explore the feasibility of a Friday night bus service to and from Elvington. The Friday night bus service in Wheldrake has been extremely successful and it may be possible to transfer the subsidy offered to that service to assist setting up a similar service in Elvington.

(iv) Approve that Officers ask other bus service providers if they are interested in providing a bus service to Elvington.

(v) Approve that Officers re-look at providing the Wheels to Work Service in this area.

Decision of the Executive Member for City Strategy

RESOLVED: That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:

(i) To seek a positive response to the petitioners’ requests, which might improve patronage of the bus service, without incurring additional expenditure by the Council.

(ii) To ensure that the villagers’ needs and aspirations are considered and assessed in conjunction with other desired improvements to the City’s bus service network.

Members considered a report which advised them of the receipt of a petition signed by a number of residents in Elvington. The petitioners objected to the limited bus service in the village and requested improvements be made so all residents could have reasonable access to local amenities and to York City Centre.

The Officer, in response to Councillor Vassie’s comments, said that the Wheels to Work scheme would be a more cost effective solution to providing access to employment for young people.

The report presented the following two options:

Option 1 Take no immediate action, but continue to look for any realistic opportunities to improve the service in the future.

Option 2 Allocate additional funding to enhance the present service, guided by the petitioners’ aspirations, possibly on a trial basis until August 2008, or for a longer period in conjunction with an extension of the current contractual arrangement. This report makes no suggestions as to the possible source of any such funding.

Members discussed the possibility of incorporating Elvington into an already established bus route but it was thought that if this happened it would be at the expense of other journeys. They agreed to take Councillor Vassie’s comments into consideration and requested Officers explore the possibilities surrounding them.