Residents along several bus routes in York will see new operators in September, following a competitive tender process to ensure the future running of key services.
The changes are part of City of York Council’s implementation of the local bus services review, which was agreed at Executive in February. They include ensuring the continuation of several routes where contracts were due, to expire and the extension of 2 services, to serve the growing Germany Beck development in Fulford.
Following a competitive tender process, York & Country (operated by Transdev) have been selected as the winning bidder for Services 19, 20, 24 and 25.
2 other contracts, for the 11 (run by First Bus) and 16 (run by ConnexionsBuses), will be updated to take account of the revised services.
Services listed below will move to new operations on Monday 2 September:
- Service 19, between Skelton and Burton Stone Lane, is currently operated by York Pullman on weekdays and York & Country on Saturdays. From 2 September, York & Country will operate the service from Monday to Saturday. There are no changes to the route and the timetable will be very similar, aside from Saturday’s last bus, which will change from 6.08pm to 5.20pm - see the full updated timetable online
- Service 20, between Rawcliffe, Clifton Moor, Monks Cross and Heworth/Osbaldwick, will continue to be operated by York & Country, with no change to the route or timetable
- Services 24, between Acomb and the city centre, Service 25, between Fulford, the city centre, Foss Islands and Derwenthorpe, and Service 26, between Fulford, the city centre and South Bank, currently operated by York & Country, will be altered in line with the Executive decision, in order to make some operational efficiencies with a minimal impact on overall service provision;
- Service 24 will now serve the Germany Beck development and run between Acomb, the city centre, and Fulford, instead of Ascot Way, Acomb and the city centre. It will still be operated by York & Country and will still be hourly. The Ascot Way to Acomb section will be added to service 16, run by ConnexionsBuses, which will reduce from every 45 mins to every hour
- Service 25 will continue to be operated by York & Country and run hourly. The route will be almost the same, but will now also serve Germany Beck, along with service 24. This is the first time Germany Beck has been directly linked in to the bus network
- Service 24 and Service 25 will serve Germany Beck via Thornton Road, then Bishopdale Way, Whitting Close, and Porter Avenue
- Service 26 will cease to operate;
- The South Bank to York section will be covered by First’s Service 11, which will be re-routed to include the Balmoral Terrace to Campleshon Road loop all day
- The Fulford Road section will become part of service 24
- Passengers should note that there will be no replacement for the Friday and Saturday-only late evening 11:45pm journey from Piccadilly to Fulford, due to very poor usage (averaging 1 passenger per journey) - the last bus from York to Fulford will be Service 415 at 11:10pm, serving Fulford Road and Main Street
- Alterations to Service 16 between Acomb, Hamilton Drive and the city centre will also take place on 2 September. Frequency will reduce from every 45 minutes to every hour, with the route being extended to include Ascot Way, Windsor Garth, Danesfort Avenue, St Stephen's Road, Cornlands Road and Askham Lane (all currently part of route 24)
- Alterations to Service 11 will also take place on 2 September, as a result of the end of Service 26. Frequency will remain the same, but all daytime journeys will include the South Bank loop (Balmoral Terrace, Queen Victoria Street, Campleshon Road) that are currently operated by service 26. Service 11 has always used this loop in the evenings
As a result of the high rate of inflation since these services were last tendered in 2019, the additional costs are being met with support from the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) budget.
Services 24 and 25 are also being part-funded by Section 106 contributions from the Germany Beck developer, Persimmon.
Passengers are reminded that there are a range of ticketing options available, including current BSIP funded subsidies on family and young people’s travel:
- passengers aged 18 or under are able to travel for a £1 single fare if travelling by themselves, or if aged under 16, can travel with an adult for free
- All York Young Person's Day, £2.50 paper ticket - valid for 5 to 18 year olds on any bus in the York area on the day of issue, at any time of day
- All York Young Person's Week, £12.00 paper ticket - valid for 5 to 18 year-olds on any bus in the York area for 7 consecutive days
Cllr Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport, said:
These are key services for our local communities and I’d like to thank all those involved for ensuring a smooth transition period, which means there will be no break in services.
"I’m delighted that residents living in the Germany Beck development will now have a bus service, and I’d encourage residents to use the new routes on offer. And don’t forget that until December, we are subsidising fares for families and young people, making buses an even better way to travel in York”.
Transdev York and Country General Manager Adam Emmott said:
We’re looking forward to serving the fast-growing Germany Beck development for the first time, providing residents with a new bus link to the heart of the city centre – much easier, cheaper and better for the environment than taking a car into central York.