CITY of York Council’s leader has hit back at a mayoral candidate's electoral pledge to undo bus service cuts in the city in his first week.

Councillor Claire Douglas, leader of the Labour-run council, was responding to a pledge made by Conservative candidate Keane Duncan to ‘overturn Labour cuts to York buses’ if he is elected Mayor of the new York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority on May 2.

As reported in The Press, the city council executive, led by Cllr Douglas, approved cuts to some York bus routes which are subsidised by the city council on February 20, which would see savings of £200,000.

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Mr Duncan said he would offer the same amount of cash the council was seeking to save from its review of the city’s bus network.

The cuts include the removal from route number 13 of the specific ‘Flaxman Croft Loop’ in Copmanthorpe. 

Mr Duncan said: “The significant change to that service sparked a 400-strong petition and would be protected as a result of my intervention.

“If elected as Mayor in May, I will release the funds needed to stop the cuts.

“Passengers can be assured this will happen in my first week.”

But Cllr Douglas hit back, saying: “There’s an irony in hearing a Conservative, whose party is responsible for dishing out tens of millions in cuts to York for well over a decade, claiming to be its saviour if elected Mayor for our area.

"The cuts York is having to make are the result of decisions made by Keane Duncan’s colleagues in Government.”

Mr Duncan said he would "ensure all at-risk services in York are protected until at least 2025, the point when the combined authority will secure a new £380 million transport settlement from the Government."

He added this would leave the newly devolved region in the "strongest possible position" to protect and expand bus services across York and North Yorkshire into the future.

Cllr Douglas said: “Through devolution, the Mayoral Combined Authority will see some central Government funding localised, meaning increased flexibility to support transport priorities in our area.

“Rather than offer temporary, short-term fixes as Keane Duncan proposes, a Labour Mayor alongside the Combined Authority would consider bus franchising in York to deliver a joined-up, reliable bus network that reflects a commitment to quality public transport across the whole city.”

  The candidates for regional mayor so far are:

  • Conservative Party – Keane Duncan
  • Green Party – Kevin Foster
  • Independent – Keith Tordoff
  • Labour Party – David Skaith
  • Liberal Democrats – Felicity Cunliffe-Lister